A friend of mine, Andre, a man I admire for his intelligence and technical skill, recently shocked me when he admitted that his service has left him in a life of living hell. Says that he cannot watch We Were Soldiers because he was there.
Mourn no more my people,
mourn no more today.
Your sons and daughters,
lost in war, forever there to stay.
War no more has meaning,
war no more makes sense.
Going to war is only leaning,
on the lives of our innocents.
War is just a ruse,
foisted as our defense.
Makes old men more wealthy,
while killing young makes sense?
War is now technically surgical,
but the knife cuts wide and deep.
With so many civilians killed,
so many promises to keep.
It's okay to honor our soldiers,
who saved us in the past.
But we shouldn't honor victory,
with all the evil it's cast.
For if history taught us anything,
it's taught us that war is hell.
To honor all the killing,
only time will tell.
To honor all the killing,
has reached its death knell.
A time for more compassion,
when mourning can go to hell.
War is just a ruse,
foisted as our defense.
Makes old men more wealthy,
while killing young makes sense?
The sentiments that you have shared through your verses here make so much sense and are so meaningful, apt, and timely that I am very much afraid they will not be accepted by many... ...and that is sad. Thank you so much Ron. Love, peace, and best wishes to you,
This beautifully conceived and written poem expresses precisely my feelings about war. The loss of life, the upheaval, the uselessness, the inevitable spawning of more and more of the same. Ultimately, Armigeddon?
So many young people come back mentally and emotionally shell-shocked.
Physical injuries are often devastating, but how many who have killed
and seen others killed recover their equilibrium? I don't know why we are surprised when an ex-serviceperson turns violent. The vast majority would never do such a thing, but the military does everything it can to turn out automatons that maim and kill. War
requires them. So frustrating and sad to think of all the wasted
lives and suffering that is never going to stop. Sorry. Am I getting maudlin?
Thank you for writing and sharing this brilliant plea for sanity.
Earned another star in your crown, sir.
Wear it with pride.
xOx Phyllis xOx
We need more leaders with the guts to be passivists, like Mahatma
Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
WRITTEN WELL...YOUR POINT WELL STATED, HOWEVER AS LONG AS THERE IS A UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WE NEED SOLDIERS WHO ARE WILLING TO DEFEND US. MY OLDEST DAUGHTER WAS AMONG THOSE THAT SURVIVED BUT SOME, VERY SADLY, HAVE NOT SURVIVED. I HATE WAR BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE CANNOT WALK AWAY FROM A FIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. WE CAN ONLY PRAY THAT THE ANTIDOTE FOR ALL WARS WILL ONE DAY BE EMBRACED. AND THAT ANTIDOTE IS; THE LOVE OF GOD. FOR IT IS ONLY THROUGH HIS LOVE THAT 'PEACE' FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD CAN BE ATTAINED. '...LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU...' THIS IS A SIMPLE STATEMENT BUT IT APPEARS THAT IT IS TOO HARD FOR LEADERS THAT ARE FILLED WITH PRIDE AND ARROGANCE, TO DO. THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS & FAITH...
JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS
I never served in the military so my opinion is compromised. I have friends and relatives that did. I & we owe them a debt, whether they were involved in combat or not, that cannot be repaid in dollars and cents. That said, I think I know what you mean. We are sending our best into harms way, with their hands tied behind their backs. These have become political and religious and commodities wars. They are impossible to win, save carpet bombing, if that is considered winning. You are absolutely correct that the surgical strategy is a failure. It would seem the humane thing to do but it only prolongs the inevitable. Either you wipe them out or you don't. Our valiant troops have been given the impossible task of keeping them at bay until some horseshit political solution is reached. Which will never happen until the oil fields are dry and the minerals are depleted. Or until the radioactive cloud disperses in a couple million years. I know you meant well by our troops, it just didn't come off that way. Patrick
I guess Uncle Sam was aptly named, for to him everyone is the same. Soldliers are courageous, and yes, they're used as a means to an end. Higher-ups see them as numbers, but they're much more. A timeless circle. Grips the heart:)
Sheila
This one really touched me, Ronald. I have an uncle who served in the Korean War.....and he can't even talk about it without crying....he's eighty years old now and the memories still affect him deeply. WEll done!
I must agree with Dick King. Being a staunch American, I support our troops and what our men and women are trying to do when they fight for our continuing freedom. A most disturbing poem. I am so very sorry about your disability and wish you all the blessings in this world. I can tell you are a talented writer and will check back to read some of your other works. Joy L. Hale
To honor a soldier is not the same as honoring war, as I am certain you understand. I cannot ever think badly of someone who is or was willing to give their all that I may live in freedom. With that said, war is pointless and merciless. No longer do we fight on the ground where we can see our enemy, we remotely destroy and occupy in the name of whatever we decide to call it at the time. I would like to see all war cease but for now, that is but the dream of a woman with a hippie heart. Well written, Ron.
Take care,
Sherry
Ron, you have honored the sacrifices of all soldiers with this rendering contrary to what in my opinion is a misinterpretation by some our den friends. For it is they, the soldiers, who pay the ultimate toll. I like your impassioned plea to the whole of mankind to stop the killing and find humane avenues to explore the resolution of issues of diversity. Political, religious or whatever their roots. Let the young men live and the old men seeking more wealth find other peaceful venues. A poignant Memorial Day reminder of the casualties of armed conflict. I bid you love and peace my dear friend. Jon Michael
The words are well written. The rhythm and rhyme is good. The message, however, is sad and disturbing and I truly hope that these thoughts are in the minority. Our service men/women need out support/thoughts/prayers whether or not we agree with 'war'.
Ron, as a rule, I find your poetry very enjoyable and entertaining. Generally, I'm completely in tune with what you are saying. That said, however, I'm afraid our paths diverge on this one.
"... It's okay to honor our soldiers, who saved us in the past...." OK???? It's OK to honor them??? I'm sorry, I see it as an obligation that is taken far too lightly in our country....
"...Mourn them no more??? ... War no more has meaning,..."??? Possibly I’m miss-reading, or maybe miss-interpreting your poem, but I’m not in agreement with the message I received from it. Thank you, however for your keen observations and wonderful way of stating your thoughts. I’m still a big fan of your work. Dick King
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foisted as our defense.
Makes old men more wealthy,
while killing young makes sense?
The sentiments that you have shared through your verses here make so much sense and are so meaningful, apt, and timely that I am very much afraid they will not be accepted by many... ...and that is sad. Thank you so much Ron. Love, peace, and best wishes to you,
Regis
This beautifully conceived and written poem expresses precisely my feelings about war. The loss of life, the upheaval, the uselessness, the inevitable spawning of more and more of the same. Ultimately, Armigeddon?
So many young people come back mentally and emotionally shell-shocked.
Physical injuries are often devastating, but how many who have killed
and seen others killed recover their equilibrium? I don't know why we are surprised when an ex-serviceperson turns violent. The vast majority would never do such a thing, but the military does everything it can to turn out automatons that maim and kill. War
requires them. So frustrating and sad to think of all the wasted
lives and suffering that is never going to stop. Sorry. Am I getting maudlin?
Thank you for writing and sharing this brilliant plea for sanity.
Earned another star in your crown, sir.
Wear it with pride.
xOx Phyllis xOx
We need more leaders with the guts to be passivists, like Mahatma
Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS
Sheila
Anna
in order for compassion to mourn, for freedom is never free.
Lady Vivian
Blessings,
Christine
Take care,
Sherry
Donna
"... It's okay to honor our soldiers, who saved us in the past...." OK???? It's OK to honor them??? I'm sorry, I see it as an obligation that is taken far too lightly in our country....
"...Mourn them no more??? ... War no more has meaning,..."??? Possibly I’m miss-reading, or maybe miss-interpreting your poem, but I’m not in agreement with the message I received from it. Thank you, however for your keen observations and wonderful way of stating your thoughts. I’m still a big fan of your work. Dick King