Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Dearly Departed


A sunny Spring day,
Perfect in every way

A day just like many years before,
When we were young and off to war

Marching in a glorious parade,
Soaking up patriotic accolades

Old men spoke impassioned words,
For a noble cause now blurred

Lost somewhere in the fog of recollection
The war took us in a different direction

To an inferno where our demons convened
Scarred battlefields strewn with mangled dreams

Tourists today visit the manicured site
Trying to get their photo ops right

Right next to the souvenir shop stands a plaque
Recounting a litany of casualty facts

Most don’t even bother reading the sign
Now just big numbers diminished by time,

But to us forgotten ghosts who didn’t come back
Our sacrifice is more than a mere statistical fact

Not that we require any bronze statues
Dying was never what we intended to do

Heroes we became quite accidentally
Fighting forever battles throughout eternity

We are the faceless casualties of war
Still trying to figure out what we died for








4 comments:

  1. Oh, this is packed with so much truth, Steve. The soldiers are just the pawns on someone's massive chessboard. For those who fought and lost, the pain is immeasurable.

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  2. Thanks for the very perceptive feedback..The poem was inspired by a field trip I took in high school to the Gettysburg.Civil War battlefield.
    So much of our history is drenched in blood,battles and casualty numbers and the sacrifices these brave soldiers made is truly unappreciated today. Sorry to ramble so, but I'm glad I could share this with you. Thanks again..

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  3. This is full of many feelings over this men and women who fought.
    You did a really fine job writing this.
    xx

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    1. Thanks Sabine. Yesterday was Memorial Day here in the USA and it's staggering to look back at our history and reflect on all the young lives lost for something as stupid as war

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