Home » Poems » James Fraser » Generations of Valor

Generations of Valor

          They stand together
          Soldiers young and old
          As we sit down beside them
          Their stories unfold

Tell me son
What happened to you
Please take your time
I wish to hear you through

    I was out on patrol
    Looking for improvised devices
    Their made of plastic now
    For modern sacrifices

    But this one was different
    It was set on remote
    Triggered at distance
    As the enemy gloat

    Catapulted, bleeding
    As i land on the sand
    My face lacerated
    As are my hands

    My left hand has gone
    As are my eyes
    My emotions are drained
    I can no longer cry

    I am flown home
    To Edwards Air Base
    Not the way i left
    A new tomorrow i face

My brave young son
I shall cry for you
Yes tomorrow is new
But we will see it through

    As he wipes his tears
    His son says to his father
    Tell me your story again
    So my thoughts again gather

Well it was so long ago
And although i am old
The horrors of wars
Should always be told

It was the 6th of June
1944
The day the war had turned
And what we fought for

I was one of thousands
As we hit the beaches
Under heavy fire
Bodies bleeding, bodies bleached

After being pinned down for hours
We finally made a breakthrough
Their lines broken
Our determination pursued

Our objective, Bayeux
To cut off the road to Caen
Re-assemble and group
As we mean to go on

We were on the outskirts
As a 109E attacked
My platoon was strafed
As its bullets impact

I was hit three times
In my legs and chest
Shipped back home
Asking why i was blessed

After the war
In the Army i stayed
As an injury councillor
For other wars have been played

          Father and son stood together
          Hugged for tomorrow
          Yes, there will be more wars
          And what they bring is sorrow




http://www.thehighlanderspoems.com/war-6.php

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Mary Meade Stephenson

Date: 12/12/2009 3:57:00 PM

A powerful poem that brought tears to my eyes....a superb write that draws the reader into the moment while reading seeing the scene unfolding....excellent job! Thanks so much for sharing~Mary

Derrick Burton

Date: 12/12/2009 3:53:00 PM

A powerful poem about the sadness of war, you write with such passion, enjoyed and have a great weekend. :):)

Linda-Marie Sweetheart

Date: 12/12/2009 3:04:00 PM

Sad but true epic tale of the horror of war.. my "baby" is leaving in March for the Air Force in Biloxi, Miss. for training and school.. as a concerned MUM .. can't we just all shake hands and be friends? do u think that will ever happen? ... before its too late... thankxx James for sharing ... blessings... luv... Linda-Marie, P.E.P.S. "Sweetheart"

Date: 12/12/2009 1:46:00 PM

Powerful reminder of the cost of war. This is such a heartfelt piece with gripping emotion. Well done! Thank you for your ongoing encouragement. Have a wonderful weekend. Karen

Charmaine Chircop

Date: 12/12/2009 4:24:00 AM

Yes Highlander the horror of wars should always be told..the suffering and the pain,You reminded me of this old man who i see nearly everyday on my way to work when im for a coffee,many times he comes sits next to me and tell me about his days at war,He is one of the lucky few who made it to live a long life after war,God bless those people and may we dont have more Heros dying for the country,May we just have Heros of peace,Heartfelt poem Fraser indeed--Charma

Sara Kendrick

Date: 12/12/2009 4:02:00 AM

Very well written military write. The father son approach that you have used a very nice one. Sure that you can relate to this since you have served your country and have sons. Keep the creative pen flowing. Sara Sending soup mail.