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: 3.139.72.78
Your Email Address:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email Address:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
The soldier, he looked down at me While I protested vociferously. He seemed to be but twenty-five An age that weathered eyes belied. And as I turned to walk away, I heard the soldier up and say: “It seems that you don’t understand, What it takes to protect this land. The price we pay for what we do, What we suffer for folks like you. The cost of keeping people free Is letting go of the fantasies. The stories all you people tell, Burn away in war’s fiery hell. The illusions that most people hold, They Sink away to depths untold. To keep you safe we confront truth, And force along the end of youth. You chant and say ‘Let’s end all war,’ It’s understandable deplored. But you never seem able to derive, That the end of war is the end of life. As long as folks can think on their own, Conflict will exist, and war will be close. To end it all, the cost would be All trace of individuality. A price too great for man to know, Better the chance of trading blows, Than giving up what is our essence. It’s a bloody but important lesson. And since the battle can never end, You’ll always have need of warrior men, To fight against chaotic tides, To hold a line against the night. And as for seeing an end to war, Only dead folks will see no more. We don’t as much for what we do, In money I make less than you! We ask no power, small or large, We don’t demand to be in charge. We don’t need swoons or genuflects, We ask only that you show respect. And though it makes bleeding hearts burn, It’s a respect we’ve dearly earned. By watching buddies die and scream, By hearing them in haunted dreams, By seeing our peace-time lives crimped By missing limbs and nagging limps. We just want you to understand What such a life does to a man. To keep peace for this country, wide A piece of all of us must die. And even if we survive steel rain, What comes home will never be the same. We do it ‘cause it must be done, To those for fear no law but guns. We stand up strong and take the blast, So common folks, the rage will pass. And had we not chosen this life You’d all feel the weight of death-run-rife.” And then the soldier walked on by, I could not believe he’d bought the lies! The fool, he probably stayed up late, Thinking up new folks to hate! If he’d only go to college, he’d see The real heroes are protesting…
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required