I'm living in the shallow end of the pool The place, the people, and the politics
I'm living in a place almost at swamp level The land, the minds, and the lifestyles
I'm in a place where every wrong resides The weather, the religion, and the profits
The sickness in the belly of the beast Is right here on the curve of the fetid gulf
They congregate here on the hurricane edge To convince themselves of their convictions
They sit on the ragged shore and flick ash At the East and West, jealous and afraid
They spout their viciousness at the world Talk tough, consume, pollute, and drink
Self-righteous in their bitter wrongness Holier than thou in their devilish designs
Ready to destroy the world in God's name And wave the flag as they scuttle the ship
I'm struggling in the murky waters Beating my head on the bayou bottom
I'm choking on the roots that entangle me In the dark and shallow end of the pool
Jim Bush is a 61 year old, Vietnam-era veteran, currently living in Katy,Texas. He was raised in a military family. His father received the Silver Star for directing troops while under air attack at Clark Field in the Phillipines, survived the Bataan Death March, and spent three and a half years in a Japanese POW camp. He also received the Purple Heart for wounds received while a POW. Jim served as an army photographer in Okinawa and Korea. In 1987 he traveled to the war zones of Nicaragua with a veteran's group dedicated to stopping the Contra War.
