A woodpecker drummed unseen in the jungle
Men turned their heads to familiar sound
From behind the trees, came the buzzing of bees
And one of the men fell to the ground

Perhaps, that oppressively muggy day
Or just vicious mosquitos and leeches
Made them imagine North American birds
In Saipan's jungles and sandy beaches

The one who just fell was tired as hell
Sleep-deprived, scruffy, dirty and rank
He stayed, painting greenish moss red
For the world, just another dead Yank

His friends left him sleeping where he lay
And went on their merry way
They wanted to see that woodpecker's nest
They had a debt to pay

They came to its home amid verdant ferns
It was tended by three strong men
They hadn't expected so soon their turn
Then the jungle fell silent again