Ghost Wars

Winner of the 2004 Global Filipino Award for Poetry, Ghost Wars brings together sixteen new and previously published poems that work to understand the effects of war on all who are touched by it. As a Vietnam era veteran, as well as the grandson, son, and brother of combat veterans, Gotera writes from experience on the contradictory psychological demands made of soldiers. In Ghost Wars men in combat exist in the moment, capturing and being captured by the power of violence. But the individuals of war's aftermath live with the implications of their actions, struggling with an always-present past as they endeavor to carve out moments of understanding, of forgiveness, and of love.