Yusef Komunyakaa - The Dead at Quang Tri lyrics

This is harder than counting stones along paths going nowhere, the way a tiger circles & backtracks by smelling his blood on the ground. The one kneeling beside the pagoda, remember him? Captain, we won't talk about that. The Buddhist boy at the gate with the shaven head we rubbed for luck glides by like a white moon. He won't stay dead, dammit! Blades aim for the family j**els; the gra** we walk on won't stay down.