 Reflections & Opinion >
Poetry and Notes
A collection - Some mine, some from others.
A
SOLDIER …
I was that which others did not want to be.
I went where they feared to go,
Did what they failed to do.
I asked nothing,
From
those who gave nothing,
And
reluctantly accepted the thought
Of
eternal loneliness
Should
I fail.
I
have seen the face of terror,
Felt the stinging cold of fear,
Looked into eyes too soon without life,
Hurt in the anguish of being alone,
Enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.
I have cried, pained, and hoped,
Lived times others say are best forgotten.
But through it all,
In
each passing moment of every day,
I
have known I could be proud
A
SOLDIER.
(Spacek)
REST QUIETLY...
Rest quietly now,
All is done,
The task finished.
The
duty served.
They know what we did,
What you gave,
What was lost
And for whom.
Times are better now,
There is peace.
Things aren't the same,
But even back then,
We knew it wouldn't be.
Those of us here
Who were with you
Remember...
The distant places
Strange names.
Some of us are okay,
Came home and went on.
Others of us can't make it back,
They are here,
But there.
The war and memories linger for them,
Time stands still,
The nightmare continues,
The distant thunder
Plays on and no.
Endless days, weeks, years,
The battles go on,
The pain lingers,
The nights too long…unending.
They still struggle,
every minute,
Through each hour,
Each
day and night.
We put your name here,
In this black stone,
Not because we might forget,
We
cannot.
It’s for those who follow,
To allow them to know, see, and feel
The sacrifice you made,
The pain and anguish endured,
The lives given,
The
futures lost,
The
duty served.
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