At a War Cemetery (Lip Service)
I came upon serried ranks
Of once-men who'd given their all,
Silent sentinels who'd known fear,
Pain and terror before their fall.
They'd stared the grim Reaper in the face
And knew their time had come.
But there were those who knew not that
Their lives were a rounded sum.
Some in distant lands had fought
For causes they knew not what
A vague concept of patriotism
In them was drummed and taught.
Cannon-fodder or grist to mill
You may call it what you want
A budding life, a blooming soul
Sacrificed to dogma and cant.
Time passes by, we sing their praise
And recall their valiant sacrifice.
We thank them for all they did,
And forget them in a trice.
For such is the folly of a war
For whate'er cause it's fought
The soldiers give their ultimate
And soon they are all forgot!
Copyright © Karam Misra | Year Posted 2009
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