here you would"ve been that moment." She is but another piece of the maze of mental anguish experienced by those in Vietnam.The spirituality continues to remain a part of the theme in the work "Thanks". He is offering thanks to an unnamed angel that appears to be protecting him,"Thanks for the treebetween me & a sniper's bullet." He is mystified by the recurrent events that save his life, and prevent his useless death in a place he doesn't choose to be. This thanks runs from the beginning throughout. These events are blessings and are displayed as such. This is in direct contrast to "We Never Know"where, "Komunyakaa has fashioned from the banqueting flies the ancient sign of the blest,and he sees, too late, that the man he has killed is a blessed thing-"12 The reversal this time is in the order with which the event takes place. The speaker readily recognizes the magnitude of staying alive and thus, is grateful. The importance of all of the events that envelop the Vietnam experience aren't lost in the mind of the speaker.Our next selection examines death as it returns home. "To Dance with Death" begins with an image that magnifies the importance of their arrival,"The black sergeant first classwho stalled us on the rampdidn't kiss the ground either." The soldiers who should be enthralled to return home, don't even kiss the ground upon disembarking the plane. The nature of this trip is confirmed in the next stanza,"When two hearses sheened up to the plane& government silver-gray coffinsrolled out on silent chrome coasters,". The somber actions of the soldiers is due to the nature of this trip.There is another indelible image expressed that is trademark Komunyakaa:did he feel better? The empty left legof his trousers shivered as another hearse with shiny hubcaps inched from behind a building ... There is a soldier amongst those injured, or dead who are returning home who is missing a leg. The reality of the situation is apparent....
