Login
|
Join PoetrySoup
Home
Submit Poems
Login
Sign Up
Member Home
My Poems
My Quotes
My Profile & Settings
My Inboxes
My Outboxes
Soup Mail
Contest Results/Status
Contests
Poems
Poets
Famous Poems
Famous Poets
Dictionary
Types of Poems
Quotes
Short Stories
Articles
Forum
Blogs
Poem of the Day
New Poems
Resources
Syllable Counter
Anthology
Grammar Check
Greeting Card Maker
Classifieds
Member Area
Member Home
My Profile and Settings
My Poems
My Quotes
My Short Stories
My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder
Soup Social
Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us
Member Poems
Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Random
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread
Member Poets
Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest
Famous Poems
Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100
Famous Poets
Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War
Poetry Resources
Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Email Poem
Your IP Address: 3.142.199.138
Your Email Address:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email Address:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
By Cherbo Geeplay This, to the commanding officer who led his troops to war, on one knee and won in the trenches on the battlefield littered with landmines. I held your portrait sir, this morning with trembling palms, dressed sharply in your uniform, gleaming boots fastened to your feet. I talk this over with my son: who is this Kaepernick, he asked, so I dropped the topic. Thought, he was too young to understand warfare and the men who wage them. My honor to know a soldier of your heroism seized me, tells me, wars can be won without people being shot, just, by asking, why? Volley of bullets wouldn’t have to penetrate the bodies of men, but can prick the hollow apostates of partisan whiff on a day conscience won, sparking a revolution across the sub-continent. I fete you dear commanding officer, for your stealth. II The certificates of your citizenship have been studied and assumed worthy, even by the enemy you defeated. The questions have been asked on the battlefront and at headquarters by field officers and generals alike, barred by their superiors from whispering your name. Probing: what does he want, who is this man? But on the subway, morning and evening trains commuters whisper your muddled name still. Holding you in their hearts like mothers hold their babies. I have slogged the asphalts of long memory dedicated to soldiers of your tradition, like a madman looking through the relics reserved for your kind, searching for your badge, and yes, there it is. It hangs right next to, Owens. III Surprised, then yesterday my son came home. A basketball hikes under his arm, giving me a long winded look like hot knife ready to melt a lard, then he knelt on his right knee, saying nothing, got up, and went to his room, tears in his eyes. I noticed also, he had began an afro. He discovered you on his own.The salt in his eyes, that welled up his tears, I report have since been washed away. Today, he is bolder like the bull that charges, but calm like these ocean waves once in revolt. Oh Col., so he did come to know you after all, as I wished, because underneath that fine uniform draped in medals beats the heart of courage in steel. _______ Copyright ©? 2019, Rigorous Literary New Orleans This poem was previously published under the title 'Col. Kaepernick.'
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required