Military Poems
Weapons
There are many types of weapons
But the ones that hurt the most
Are the weapons made of memories
And the deadly midnight ghost
Not all wounds are red and bloody
There are wounds that touch the mind
These are wounds that always fester
They're the never healing kind
Why are we who've done our duty
Plagued by wounds that never heal
Made by weapons of our memories
Which are worse than lead and steel
Medals
Don't envy a man his medals
All those ribbons on his chest
He did not try to get them
They're not there at his request
They were earned in stinking hell holes
Where no man would like to go
Or in cold and wintry places
Where there's only ice and snow
He did not know he earned them
Till they were awarded at parade
And they were bright when he first got them
But in time the colors fade
He was told he had to wear them
And to wear them all with pride
But when the memories come to haunt him
Those same medals make him hide
Cause those medals will not bring back
All those guys he left behind
And he would trade them all forever
For a little peace of mind
So don't envy a man his medals
You don't want to take his place
Thinking back to long gone battles
And meeting dead friends face to face
The Memorial
We tried,we tried,Oh God we tried
So we could be here too
And walk around remembering
And look for names we knew
Our lives were lost so far away
Upon a distant shore
But we are here in memory
As you read our names once more
Remember us,Remember us
Although we're truly gone
Remember us,as we once were
And not just names in stone
Picture courtesy ofushistory.org
Independence Day
Independence day,or the fourth of July
What is the name to me
Independence Day,is a special day
With lots of meaning for me
The Fourth of July is another thing
It is just another day
While the Fourth of July may come and go
Our Independence is here to stay
Our Independence was won,by iron willed men
Who had nothing special to gain
They fought for their freedom,and that of their sons
They fought through hardship and pain
Valley Forge was a winter they had to endure
And Many men died of the cold
But the ones that survived were harder than steel
An Army of the brave and the bold
Cornwallis at Yorktown finally surrendered
And our Army could call itself free
So I'll never forget,our Independence
And those men who got it for me
More than 200 years,we're still Independent
And more men have died for the cause
Freedom is paid for,it never was free
Each man is a terrible loss
So I look at my flag,with all of its stars
And the 13 stripes to the side
I stand at attention,and snap a salute
And I'm filled with a wonderful pride
Combat
Roaring noises
Screaming voices
Metal flying
There and here
Eyes are burning
Guts are churning
Men are fighting
Full of fear
Guns are smoking
Lungs are choking
Thru it all
Godawful smell
I hear crying
Men are dying
I'm alive
But I'm in hell
THE CALL
The blood of men flows ever out
As raging rivers to the sea
There seems to be an endless source
From long lost memory
The young men come to volunteer
To shed their blood once more
They've heard the call to bleed again
Upon some distant shore
Why is the call to die so strong
That men will heed the call
Or do they think they're not the ones
Who'll take the final fall
It's always someone else who dies
Not we who volunteer
We think we'll never be the one
And laugh to hide our fear
But deep within our inner souls
We know we may be wrong
That death may be around the turn
Our life may not be long
But never mind we heard the call
We line up in our ranks
And a grateful nation will be there
To give us all their thanks
They'll build for us a monument
Young boys will come to stare
And they will be the next to go
To shed their blood somewhere
Veterans Day 1998
This week the flags will wave again
We'll march down a city street
We'll try to keep the cadence
With grown old two left feet
We're veterans who have served our land
In places far and wide
Today we will be smiling
We won't show the hurt inside
The land that we all fought for
Is changing day by day
The people just don't seem to care
As their freedoms slip away
The Constitution was once sacred
A document held dear
Our founding fathers gave to us
A message once so clear
Now lying is accepted
And other things as bad
But we will show our smiles today
Pretend that we are glad
We will be with our brothers
And yes our sisters too
We ones who wore the uniform
And kept our honor true
We fought to keep this country free
Were our battles all in vain
My land,my country 'tis of thee
Can we be free again ?
Wounds of War
Some wounds of war
Are never seen
They're buried deep within
No open wound
No Purple Heart
No blemish on the skin
But these are wounds
That leave a scar
Upon our very soul
They tear our hearts
Cause misery
And take a heavy toll
Our bloodless wounds
Cause us to ask
Oh GOD,what was it for
We go through life
Not knowing why
We have these Wounds of War
