Eyes iris-hued, wide open
in a sound.less scream at death's
surprise. The whom of who he
was, gone; the what, a spent shell
left behind.
What if it was me lying
there, flung, broken, bleeding, on
my back, seeing no.thing with
purpled vision? Would anyone
give a damn?
Who would think the enemy
would look like . ... . (me)? Same build, same
shock of dark hair. Just a boy,
whose mother will mourn when she
gets the news.
No one should be alone when
they die. I close his eyes and
see the end of his life with
mine, whisper a little prayer:
go in peace.
Excellently penned! You have a powerful voice...whispering that prayer of peace.
Cryssa
Reviewed by Boots Dorfman (Reader)
Reviewed on March 12, 2008
Excellent. An Army pal of mine with whom I served on a local charity board of directors has just been deployed. She swears she's gonna spend most of her tour of duty on base, which I guess means with minimum exposure to IEDs, but still, one worries.
In my career as a local small-market journalist, I had the honor of interviewing may Vets about their service to our nation. Among them are the Army master sergeant who served in both Korea and Viet Nam and a Marine machine-gunner who landed and fought on Tawara and Saipan in WWII. Also a WWII PT Boat sailor and a sailor who spent his tours of duty aboard the USS Hornet. That fellow saw the Liberator Bombers take off from his deck on the way to Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, and was on the Hornet when it was sunk at Vera Cruz. He was dredging up buckets of water from the flight deck to fight the fires when a commanding officer informed him that the rest of his unit had already abandoned ship, and it was time for him to take a swan dive off the fantail. He screwed up one ear for a long time when he hit the water, but unlike his ship and many of his mates, he survived the encounter ...
Yeah, war is a bitch. Thank God we've got people willing to put themselves into harm's way to keep them from happening and when the balloon does go up, defeat the enemy. Makes me feel kinda grateful, y'know?
Neither of these guys should have survived some of the crap they went through, but both were alive, well and truth-telling when I spoke with them.
I feel in my heart for those Mothers who receive this word for their children will always be their children. Sad but it happens far too many times Karla. thank you for sharing.
It make me to recall all those teenager chinese soldiers falling in the night in North Korea and left behind to die looking at the same stars their mothers were looking while praying for their safe return.
This is so powerful..and yes..no one should be alone when they die. We once had a fatal car crash outside of our flats..I felt I had to stay close nearby until the Fire Brigade cut the poor young man free. It was the middle of the night.. I thought his Mother would want someone with him, standing by...watching over..
This poem really moved me..the horror of war and utter waste of young lives, and all that ripple of heartbreak...You have really captured all those tragic feelings...Love, Diana.
Soldiers fight. . .
And death always lingers.
People live. . .
And death is certain
Who knows when we'll see the final curtain.
Whisper a little prayer for me too.
DWB
A deep sadness seeps thru your caring words in this poem. When will we - or rather our government - awaken to the devistating tragedies of war? Your last stanza should be shouted from every hilltop!
Blessings to you, Karla.
Powerfully brutal reality of war penned in taut, heartbreaking lines. The realizations that the enemy is human brings the message home even more vividly. Very well done; brava!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your twin, Karen Lynn. :(
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Cryssa
In my career as a local small-market journalist, I had the honor of interviewing may Vets about their service to our nation. Among them are the Army master sergeant who served in both Korea and Viet Nam and a Marine machine-gunner who landed and fought on Tawara and Saipan in WWII. Also a WWII PT Boat sailor and a sailor who spent his tours of duty aboard the USS Hornet. That fellow saw the Liberator Bombers take off from his deck on the way to Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, and was on the Hornet when it was sunk at Vera Cruz. He was dredging up buckets of water from the flight deck to fight the fires when a commanding officer informed him that the rest of his unit had already abandoned ship, and it was time for him to take a swan dive off the fantail. He screwed up one ear for a long time when he hit the water, but unlike his ship and many of his mates, he survived the encounter ...
Yeah, war is a bitch. Thank God we've got people willing to put themselves into harm's way to keep them from happening and when the balloon does go up, defeat the enemy. Makes me feel kinda grateful, y'know?
Neither of these guys should have survived some of the crap they went through, but both were alive, well and truth-telling when I spoke with them.
God Bless
Michelle`
Painful read!!
Love Tinka
love, Carole~
Newfie Hugs, Rose
whose mother will mourn when she
gets the news.
Far too many mothers get such news these sad days.
Georg
This poem really moved me..the horror of war and utter waste of young lives, and all that ripple of heartbreak...You have really captured all those tragic feelings...Love, Diana.
Love & peace be with you
William
Peace, love, and light,
Amber "V"
And death always lingers.
People live. . .
And death is certain
Who knows when we'll see the final curtain.
Whisper a little prayer for me too.
DWB
Blessings to you, Karla.
Micke
(methinks even the image weeps...)
excellent Karla...
John
Powerfully brutal reality of war penned in taut, heartbreaking lines. The realizations that the enemy is human brings the message home even more vividly. Very well done; brava!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your twin, Karen Lynn. :(