Facing It

"Facing It" is a poem by American poet and author Yusef Komunyakaa. It is a reflection on Komunyakaa's first visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Komunyakaa served in Vietnam and was discharged from the Army in 1966, during which time he wrote for army newspaper Southern Cross. It is the second poem written by Komunyakaa about Vietnam. R. S. Gwynn has referred to the poem as "the most poignant elegy that has been written about the Vietnam War."