Being Green Poem by Gert Strydom

At the starting of the Angola Civil war
during December 1975 a armoured car
of battle group X-Ray attacked the enemy
in the town of Lobito who did run away and flee

and the commander of the Eland-90 armoured car
got instructions to be part of the stopper group
on the enemy's escape route
and stopped the armoured car
in the middle of the road
on top of a small hill
in the turret under position

when Unita joined in and looted the town
and a little 1200-Datsun approaching at full speed
and the crew commander jumped down
shouted at the breaking car not to proceed

and when it got to a halt told the occupants
(who consisted of three enemy officers and a Cuban)
calmly in Afrikaans to reverse
as the armoured car's main weapon
cannot shoot at such a short distance
and took his position again
in the crew commander's hatch

and the men were young and green,
exploding RPG-rockets had never been seen
and a swoosh sound was heard and a loud bang
that was so close that it made their ears sang

and Unita captain Johnny Cappella did shout:
"har pee gee" over and over again,
and unexpectedly it started to rain,
the people in the car realized there was no way out

and the little Datsun reversed and turned around,
caught speed spraying mud and lots of ground
but calmly the armoured car's gunner took a HE 90 shot
and the little car exploded with a thunderous sound.