WAR AND PEACE
IT STARTS WITH A MORAL, MARCHING SONG.
COME ON, EVERYONE, JUST RECITE ALONG!
HOLD YOUR HAND UPON YOUR HEART,
CHEER THE FLAG, EMOTIONS START!
"ATOMIC MISSILES IN THE KEEP,
KILLER
FIGHTING BOMBERS AT THE READY.
SCORES OF SOLDIERS STANDING STEADY.
TODAY IS OUR MOMENT OF GLORY.
LET ARMS BE BROUGHT FOR THE SORTIE.
OUR MEN ARE LINED UP AT THE FRONT,
THE FACELESS ENEMY THEY SHALL HUNT.
IN BLISTERING HEAT AND FREEZING COLD.
FIGHT TO WIN, FROM YOUNG TO OLD."
COME ON SOLDIERS SING THIS SONG!
FATHERS, MOTHERS, WILL SING ALONG!"
AT THE DRAPED, PATRIOTIC, LOADING DOCK,
CHEER LOYAL CAMOUFLAGED, FUTURE STOCK,
OF OUR COUNTRY, YOUNG AND STRONG,
SEND THEM WHERE THEY DON'T BELONG.
SOME SAIL BY SHIP, OTHERS ON A PLANE,
HOLDING THEIR WEAPONS, NO FEAR, NO PAIN!
SEE THEM WAVE, THEIR SMILES SO BRIGHT?
SILENT QUESTIONS, HAUNT, DAY AND NIGHT!
FOR ONCE UPON THEIR JOURNEY'S HASTE,
THEY PICK A CORNER, A LONELY PLACE.
TO THINK AND WONDER, UNTIL THEY ARRIVE.
WILL I LIVE... OR WILL I DIE...
AND THEN A SOLDIER'S DIRE PRAYER
SPOUTS FROM THE LIPS OF ONE WHO DARES,
TO SPEAK OUT LOUD, NO SHAME TO HIDE,
ONLY A CHILLING FELT DEEP INSIDE...
"IF THE LORD CALLS ME TO HIS KINGDOM,
REMEMBER I FOUGHT FOR
AND WHEN YOU DELIVER THE GRAVEN NOTE,
TO MY MOTHER, YOUR
WILL YOU TELL HER THAT I TOOK WITH ME,
HER LOVE AND SACRIFICE FOR ETERNITY.
AND WHEN TEARS CASCADE UPON THE STONE,
CARVED, IMMORTAL AND ALL ALONE,
I STAND BESIDE HER IN THE SHADOWS,
OF HER MEMORY, NO BLOOD NOR TALLOW.
ONLY MY SPIRIT AS SHE WILL SEE,
WHEN THE LORD CALLS TO VISIT ME.
NO FABLES, STORIES, OR TRUMPED UP LORE.
I'M THE KEY TO MEMORIES LOCK KEPT DOOR.
REMEMBER THOSE MOMENTS HELD SO DEAR,
I'LL BE BESIDE HER SO CLOSE AND NEAR.
REMIND HER WHEN DEATH CAME TO ME,
ACROSS A TUMULTUOUS, WINDED SEA,
MY PAIN WAS BRIEF, MY THOUGHTS OF HER,
PLEASE TELL HER THAT, I ASK YOU SIR.
THEN PLACE THE FLAG FOR WHICH I DIED,
UPON MY CASKET, WITH DIGNITY AND PRIDE,
AND BURY ME, IN THE SACRED SOIL,
OF THE LAND, I REMAINED SO LOYAL.
NO TAPS, NO DRUMS, NO SALUTES TO SEE,
ONLY, THE STAR, SPANGLED BANNER, ONCE FOR ME."
THEN THE CALL TO GLORY REMOVES ALL THOUGHTS,
EVEN THE REASONS, FOR WHICH THEY FOUGHT.
SHRIEKS AND EXPLOSIONS, ARE ALL THEY HEAR,
TOO BUSY TO WONDER, TOO BUSY FOR FEAR.
ACROSS THE SEA, ON TOP OF THE HILL,
LIES THE ENEMY, REMNANTS OF THE KILL.
COUNT THE BODIES, SEE HOW MANY DIED,
MULTIPLY THE FINGERS, TELL A LITTLE LIE.
SEE THE NUMBERS OF OUR OWN THAT DIED.
PROCLAIM THE REASON, JUSTIFY THE LIE,
A HISTORY OF VICTORY, THE SPIRIT OF THE AGES,
GLORIOUS WRITTEN, WILL TURN TO YELLOW PAGES,
WHEN CASKETS DRAPED IN MEMORIES' SHROUD,
THOSE FUTURE HOPES, THAT ONCE ABOUND!
YOU SCREAM, YOU SHOUT AND SAY OUT LOUD;
"I DID NOT SING:" That song so proud!
SO GATHER ROUND THIS LONELY FLAG,
THAT COMFORTS A SILENT, BODY BAG.
WITH TAPS AND GUNS THEY WILL SALUTE,
NO TEARS, NO GRIEF, THEY ALL ARE MUTE.
WHEN BLOOD AND BONES FINALLY SETTLE,
WITH PRIDE, STAND OUT AND PIN A MEDAL,
FROM THE WHITE AND SILKY, GLOVEN HAND,
THAT STARTED THE GLORIOUS, MARTIAL BAND.
FOR WHEN A THOUSAND SOLDIER BOYS,
WENT OFF TO WAR LIKE WOODEN TOYS,
WHO STOOD UP AND SPOKE OF PEACE,
ONLY MOTHERS OF THE NOW DECEASED!
COME ON EVERYONE, LETS SING ALONG,
A NEW AND GLORIOUS MARTIAL SONG!
YOU HOLD YOUR HAND UPON YOUR HEART,
AND CHEER YOUR FLAG, EMOTIONS START.
"WHY ARE OUR MEN, FIGHTING THIS WAR,
ON THAT LONELY, WIND SWEPT SHORE?
NO HONOR, NO PRIDE, NO WILLFUL FIGHT,
IN SELF DESTRUCTION AND HUMAN BLIGHT!
STARRY GENERALS, IT ALWAYS SEEMS,
SLEEPING WITH GHASTLY, UGLY DREAMS.
LIVING FOR WAR, THE NEXT BIG FIGHT,
PROMOTION, MEDALS, A GRAND OLD SIGHT.
NOW, SEE THE CROSSES, WHERE THEY LIE,
LISTEN TO THIS MOTHERS, TEARFUL CRY,
WHEN WILL LEADERS YOUNG AND BRIGHT,
RECOGNIZE WAR A LOSING PLIGHT,
HUMANITY MUST NOW JOIN WEARY HANDS,
FROM ALL OF GOD'S SOVEREIGN LANDS,
AND SING A SONG WITH COMMON PRIDE,
FOR THOSE SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT AND DIED.
PEACE AT LAST, BETTER THEN THE BLAST,
OF ATOMS THAT DARE, PRONOUNCE WARFARE!!
copyright 1971, Rock Scarfone
this poem was originally written in regards to the Vietnam "Police Action"