I’d like to personally think everyone who has served in the armed forces, ANYWHERE in the world, for ANY country, for risking your life for millions of people whom you will never know, and who will never know you. We all think we’re on the just side of battle, so no matter who you fight for, I’d like to say that I sincerely wish you didn’t have to… this is for you.
This is a poem I wrote almost exactly four years ago to the day. I’d love to know what you think about it. Love it? Hate it? Why? (Note: This is a rhyming poem, 99% of mine are, and although there are many who don’t like the style, give the content a chance, that’s all I ask, you can still dislike it at the end because it rhymes, LOL)
WHAT MUST BE DONE
Each day he awakes
knowing it could be his last;
each night he sleeps lightly
knowing the danger’s not passed.
With sand and grit
in his boots and his eyes,
He picks up his gun
and scans the skies.
The guilt that he feels
for protecting his life
by the loss of a man
a child or a wife,
The scorn he endures
for the job that makes him able
to take care of his family
and keep food on their table.
There are those that hate him
for following orders
be they freeing a nation
or protecting its borders.
He wonders, ‘Do they truly think
I prefer to be alone?
Away from my family?
My children? My home?
To know at any moment
it could go wrong, I could die,
in pain, in a strange land
without my wife by my side?
He spends every day
just trying to survive,
and come out at the end
of this hellish war alive.
You may not care for what he does,
or the blood on his hands…
but when asked who would protect you
he had the courage to stand.
Written by A.T. on 8/31/09
This poem is copyrighted to the author and may not be used or reproduced in any way without expressed written consent. Please do the right thing and ask permission to do anything with my work other than read it where I have personally posted it. Thank you.
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Free, Fun or Interesting 
That’s a really lovely sentiment. It’s just shame it had to be written at all, because men like him don’t realise until it’s too late they are fighting in illegal wars based on lies and greed. It breaks my heart to see these boys in uniform of all nations (with the exception of a couple of course) doing what they think is for national protection. Coming back limbless, emotionally scarred and traumatised because a couple of men in a boardroom decided they needed more money in their pockets. War is the worst human trait we possess and the masses fight it, and the masses die for it and the masses lose because of it and the masses suffer because of it all so a few men in suits don’t have to fight their own battles. There is something to be said for the days when Kings and Dukes etc…would go to battle for their country and beliefs. Do you think Obama would let his girls join the military to fight in Afghanistan? I think not, but he will expect J to send his.
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Yes, I agree. I wrote it mainly for those who blame the soldiers who (mostly all) joined to protect their country, family, friends, homes, etc. for the choices that their ‘superiors’ (watch out for the dripping sarcasm there) give them, who got them from the politicians, who got them from whichever big businesses got them elected.
I find war deplorable, but I find the intentions of many soldiers to be honorable (even if that intention is just to put food on their family’s table the only way they can), and it breaks my heart to see the people whose ‘freedoms’ (I should really give out paper towels if I’m going to be pouring out so much sarcasm on everyone) they’re protecting despising them.
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Despise the war, respect the soldier. God bless the soldier who fights, and be it that he fights in Your name.
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A lot of my generation seems to think the government is going to take care of them. That’s a farce.
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I know, its quite scary how people think their governments have their best interests at heart. If you look at most of the worlds history you’ll see no government has given any country and its people any amount of peace and prosperity. No countries government has our backs.
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Loved it. Thanks for linking my poem, I’m honored!
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Thank you! I thought yours was good, and that you were very brave for posting your first ever attempt publicly. It deserved a link! 🙂
I’ll have a new one posting for the next two mornings, also, perhaps longer if I write one or find my old sheaf of poems. 🙂
Have a great day and keep writing! It gets easier (but it’s rarely easy, lol) 🙂
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You inspired me to write another one! Do check it out it. It’s in response to today’s daily prompt http://zainabjavid.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/daily-prompt-learning/
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I love this poem. Nothing wrong with a good rhyme. You get inside the soldier’s head enough for it to give the shivers to think of living as they do during those wars.
Great topic, thanks for sharing it with us.
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Thank you for saying so, I rarely get ‘love’ about my writing, so I appreciate it… and that was my goal, showing a little slice of their thoughts, to create a little empathy. Thanks again!
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Thank you for saying so, I rarely get ‘love’ about my writing, so I appreciate it… and that was my goal, showing a little slice of their thoughts, to create a little empathy. Thanks again!
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