Best Lieutenant Poems
Courage of Youth, Battle of Ypres, Flanders Field
(A Tribute)
Tough as nails young man with a red right hand
red-fire and whiskey ran in his blood.
Courageous seed of vast and cold hard land
quick temper, power of a surging flood.
Seeker of life, its promised mysteries
rash gambler with all he would ever own.
Born on ship in high wind swept, roaring seas
toughest warrior his town had ever grown.
Met his fate by volley of red-hot lead
buried on ground scared and battle blasted.
Aye boys, fodder that machine guns were fed
fools marching to death, long as it lasted.
Now flowers cover up and Time denies
scenes of battle torn soil and blood-red skies.
R.J. Lindley
April 23rd, 1975
SONNET-(DEATH AND WAR'S FUTILITY)
Tribute to Courage of Youth-- Second Battle of Ypres, April 22nd 1915 .
Note- added - 8-26-2017
Wiki-
The name Flanders Fields is particularly associated with battles that took place in the Ypres Salient, including the Second Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Passchendaele. For most of the war, the front line ran continuously from south of Zeebrugge on the Belgian coast, across Flanders Fields into the centre of Northern France before moving eastwards — and it was known as the Western Front.
The phrase originates from a poem titled In Flanders Fields by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, inspired by his service during the Second Battle of Ypres. The fields were not maintained for years before they were made into a memorial. Today Flanders Fields is home to thousands of poppies.
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Found this while rummaging through some of my old poems. Decided not to edit it. Leave it as it was composed over 42 years ago..
Added the note for those not familiar with that battle and its horrific carnage, primarily from the insanity of large bodies of troops marching into direct machine gun fire.
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Note:
This poem was selected and requested for teaching purposes at Cambridge University. Permission was granted for educational use.... RJL
It seems like it was yesterday
in backyard sandbox she had played;
granddaughter loved to have her way
with sand, her pail, scoop, shovel, spade.
She'd mold and build, with special care;
imagination took its form.
Sometimes she'd throw it up in air
to watch it fly like a sandstorm.
Fast forward now just twenty years:
our princess then, in her play sand,
now lives a life on new frontiers
soon headed for another land.
A first lieutenant based stateside,
her unit soon will be deployed
to mid-east base...Kuwait...supplied
with desert sand, so vast and void.
Her 'sandbox' then, to serve with troops,
logistics and supplies command,
where sand is pushed with 'dozer 'scoops'...
and windstorms fill the air with sand.
It seems like it was yesterday
in backyard sandbox, she had played.
As West Point grad, she makes her way
to serve our country, unafraid.
Sandra M. Haight
~2nd Place~
Premiere Contest: Sandbox
Sponsor: Anthony Slausen
Judged:10/18/2016
I was Second Lieutenant of the Army Nurse Corps,
At Pearl Harbour when it was attacked and bombed;
I was in my room at the nurses’ quarters, a store,
Near Tripler Army Hospital, six miles from le monde.
At about 8:20am the on-call nurse called me,
Said Pearl Harbor was being attacked, grave concern,
She looked out and said something was strange, really,
“There is an awful smell…a lot of noise,” we did discern.
So I decided to walk to the hospital, ten minutes flat,
Bt as I stepped out the quarters, had an awful feeling,
No gardenias or hibiscus to sent my nose in a bat,
Just the odour of sulphur and burning oil, and buzzing.
Upon reaching the hospital, I saw twenty stretchers,
All with injured men, lined up, each with bloody wounds,
Some with an M on their foreheads for morphine, etchers:
I was an anaesthetist, and was commended at the sounds.
The chief of surgery turned to me and he did say,
“Madelyn, if we are hit, I want to say to you that,
It is a pleasure to have worked with you,” hey, hey,
“You are a good anaesthetist”, and I accepted that.
But I just replied, “I know God knows we did nothing,
To deserve this, I am putting my trust in him”;
And caring for the wounded took days, also the dying,
And our emergency rooms were schools and a kitchen.
We were very short of bandages, medicines for repair,
Totally unprepared for the hundreds of casualties,
But we did the best we could do with our work and fare,
And blood was donated day and night, no apologies.
Color Coquelicot
Blazing Coquelicot
paints famed Flanders Field Poppies
on battle-scarred land.
Honored too on coat lapels...
war symbol of remembrance.
Sandra M. Haight
~NA~
Premiere Contest: Kim's Color Splash
Sponsor: Kim Rodrigues
Judged: 07/14/2017
Rules: Write a Tanka or other brief poem using an unusual color choice along with a flower, plant, or tree
Coquelicot, (coque·li·cot) originally another word for Poppy,
and is the flower's orange tinted red color.
Listen to pronunciation here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5nR1X-QT1Y
In the spring of 1915, shortly after losing a friend in Ypres, a Canadian doctor, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was inspired by the sight of poppies growing in war-torn fields to write a now famous poem called 'In Flanders Fields'. After the First World War, the poppy was adopted as a symbol of Remembrance.
I remember the time-freezing moment
When Lieutenant Dan made his peace
And opened the dimension of gratitude
The audience experiencing the quickening
I myself have come full circle
And found a tranquil harmony
No longer griping about the government
The church, or scapegoats on TV
How immature for me to think
That fairness grows like a flower
Our souls MUST experience injustice
The reference point of abuse of power
Without a garden of universal cruelty
How could we ever understand love?
So with a heart of gratitude I give thanks
For the blossoming of this compelling bud
Deep in my mind, I see the truth
Deep in my heart, I can feel it
Truth is the way, but not easy
Watching evil and all the decay
I fought for justice years ago
I faced corruption all of the time
When there is a network, it’s done
Justice isn’t possible without many people
My best friend who was a Lieutenant,
Gave me the 2 ½ best years of my life
He was killed in the process
He sacrificed his life, doing what is right
It will be with me forever
The truth hurts deeply, it always will
But without truth, nothing will change!
Heidi Sands
5/27/22
Her tears lost to rain ...
Dorothea stood in the cold mist,
her habit soaked through, though she cared not.
The gray markers spread out before her like stone soldiers at attention,
as if she were a commander of the dead ...
'No', he would have corrected, 'You are my gift from God' -
her soldier, as cold as stone, now long dead,
deep in the frozen earth at her feet.
She ached for his touch ...
it had been twenty-two years since he'd left for the war -
since he'd been killed protecting his platoon,
yet the wound was as raw as ever,
and the longing for his smile burned a hole in her deepest being.
God was the only thing that made it bearable,
and that devotion was for his sake alone, not hers -
not the children she tended to at the abbey,
not the twisted-limbed gentlemen at the veteran's center,
not the numberless parishioners she had comforted over the years,
not the long lines of homeless at the shelter,
not even the family members she loved and missed back home,
but his ... and his alone.
She read the gravestone aloud,
as she had done so many times before:
"Lieutenant Theodore James Crowley, Jr"
Theodore ... Gift From God, she thought to herself ...
Though she hadn't known it then, it was what her name meant, too ...
almost as if it had been planned, somehow ...
as if it was ordained by the heavens ...
almost as if God had created them ... for each other.
Which, of course ... He had.
N/A'd May 27, 2020, 4:05 AM
In the "Nun" Poetry Contest
N/A'd June 5, 2020, 11:24 PM
In the "Select 5, Any Form, Any Theme" Poetry Contest
~ 3rd Place ~ in the "N/A Re-Run 7" Poetry Contest, John Hamilton, Judge & Sponsor.
'Twas an emotional movie portraying the saga of a loveable chump.
'Twas about a hapless lad by the curious name of Forrest Gump!
He overcame handicaps that from birth were to be his plight,
And it seemed that everything he did, eventually turned out right!
He acted bravely when he saved the life of Lieutenant Dan.
From that point, a lifetime of devotion and friendship began!
Naive though he was, somehow Forrest always achieved,
Notable, of course, was the Medal of Honor he received!
Alas, he was wounded in a somewhat delicate place!
But he accepted this and other reverses with amazing grace!
When Forrest became wealthy from his shrimp boat enterprise,
He gave Bubba's Momma a generous check, much to her surprise!
His life turned out pretty well, after all was said and done.
He married his first love, Jenny, who gave him a little son!
He'd heard an axiom his Momma taught since he lay in a bassinette:
"Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you'll get!"
Gump's role was handled masterfully by Tom Hanks of movie fame,
And it heaped upon his brow well-deserved honors and acclaim!
Mister Hanks will be long remembered for his remarkable role,
And the attributes of the indomitable American spirit it did extol!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Placed No. 4 in Amy Green's "Choose One - Have Fun" Contest - July 2010
Son, I'm so proud that you elected to serve in the United States Marines.
Military service is a family tradition - it just happens to be in our genes!
Your forefathers have worn the uniform since the genesis of this nation.
All were privileged to serve, feeling that it was their solemn obligation!
One of your distant relatives served as a lieutenant in The Revolution.
He lost an arm at Brandywine to boost this nation's glorious evolution!
A soldier on your mother's side was a sergeant in the Battle of New Orleans.
In letters he told of subsisting on meager rations of rancid pork and beans!
A grandfather shouldered a musket in the Mexican War affair.
Another, a corporal of cavalry in the Union Army served with elegant flair!
In the Spanish-American fray, one of your kin charged up San Juan Hill.
Your great grandpa led a platoon in World War One with consummate skill!
Your granddad was a fighter pilot in the South Pacific and became an ace,
And he later soared as an astronaut through the vast reaches of space!
I was privileged to serve as an army chaplain during the Korean War.
Your Aunt Sarah served with distinction in Viet Nam with the Nurses Corps!
So, you see son, you have a distinguished heritage upon which to build,
Serving all humankind to ensure that our quest for liberty is fulfilled!
Godspeed, Marine! Here's my old wartime copy of the Twenty-Third Psalm.
When assailed from all sides, it will provide you with great solace and calm!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Placed No. 4 in Gail Doyle's "Writing A Heartfelt Poem To A Soldier" Contest
July 2012
The second lieutenant had a snip, snip
For some reasons then it was very hip
Told the chief he couldn't stay
The chief thought he wanted to play
Dropped his drawers his swollen parts to strip
Another fire department story...
He had a little male surgery.
He was suppose to work because the doctor had said that he could come in..
He had developed swelling in his male parts so he showed the chief
what was wrong why he could not work..LOL
Sir Henry Morgan, Welsh born
Wasn't a pirate but a privateer so it's shown
As he had a document from King Charles II
Authorising to attack enemy ships for gain
His most famous attack was on
Panama City in 1670., where he seized upon
Vast amounts of Gold.
Then captured Puerto Bello by overwhelming the garrison
This was a legendary attack
He agreed to leave the town not ransack
After receiving a handsome ransom.
Written about ever after this unbelievable luck
Although he had exceeded his commission
He returned a hero his likability was proven
he was given the title of
Pirate Lord of the Brethren Court so it's written
He stormed the Caribbean Coast attacking the Spanish fleet
Then going ashore and pillaging and ravishing, an easy feat
Looting the gold stored there and causing havoc
Always on the attack, never governed defeat
He fought one battle too many and
was captured in 1672 and transported to England
Where at his trial was able to prove his innocence.
he said he was but obeying the orders he had in his hand
Was acquitted sent back after being knighted
by King Charles II, he was delighted
when made Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica
Where he lived up to his name of being farsighted
From a humble beginning in Wales
Astounded people never fails
to wonder about this life he chose
To live his life attacking, plundering under sails
Penned 6 September 2015
I reckon time
By my children’s ages
My daughter is 30
My son is 25
No, this happened
A long time ago
Before I met their mother
How many years was that?
They seemed to be missing
All at once
Stan from Buffalo, NY
Died on some unknown hill
In Da Nang
Little Mac from Chester, Pa
Friend
And alcoholic
Died in a VA Hospital
Big Bob for sure was going
To be a twenty year man
The Texan
Never made it past two.
The memories ache
A burning sensation
That rides and moves
Deep inside
And never heals
Wasn't it just a few years ago
Summer of ‘67
When we fell out for roll call
And waited
Sweat
Slowly rolled down
Big Bob’s neck
Staining his collar
From the corner of my eye
Stan fidgeted
As we waited
Under the merciless sun
Whispering and trading rumors.
The officers came out
NCOs following them
A young Lieutenant
Spoke
Sounding like a rod
Was stuck in his lower back
The NCOs wore sunglasses
The reflective ones
That hid the circles of their eyes
From the shadows
They watched us
Something was going to happen
Just what we weren’t sure.
We listened to names
Like
Saigon
Hue
Republic of Viet Nam
Charlie
Realizing
We were finally
Heading out
On a big bird
Over the Pacific
To swoop down on ‘ Nam
Faces flush with excitement
We hurried
To
Call back home
Check gear
Write last minute letters
No one wanted
To be left behind.
The word was
That it would be over
Before we knew it
We’d be back home
In no time.
I stand alone
Listening
To my breathing
Sound coming in
Going out
Feeling a chill
From some unknown place
In the silence
I ask myself
Where did everyone go?
this will be good and slippery
in a whistling fall from grace
feel free to edit in a picture of your choice
the more grotesque the more accurate
while glancing at your wrist watch
over and over when you knew
your 30 seconds was up centuries ago
we agree to be controlled
he said speaking in archetypes
here then is my plan for world conquest
say Bob that was some intro
right you are Nick
and just what the tired evacuated
non combatants at home needed
you know Bob our audience should be issued guns
right you are Bill the results would be immediate
h-h-h-howdy there f-f-fans
g-g-glad to see you all p-p-packin
ha ha ha ha ha good one Bill
who does your thinking for you by the way
OK you've been briefed
if I wrote as few words as possible
the page would be blank
and useless as a postmodern hit man
speculating on the utility of spectacles
driven by a fear of the ordinary
in an ideological trance
at this point it could go either way
even reality is an approximation of reality
but there is no question of stopping
onward he plunged sarcastically
into a semiotic twilight of the gods
everything red shifted in a bar stool curse
too many crevasses on this ice berg
blinded by white phosphorous
receptors wide open overt and undeniable
incorrect labeling why is it a necessity
would you know your number
if your number was up
he stood before his firing squad
snickering and giggling and rolling his eyes
got a last cigarette
I have to smoke I'm a witch
the squad broke up with laughter
pissed their pants
and shot the lieutenant
if I'm in this much trouble now
God help me tomorrow
From "Engine of Didactic Beauty" available on Amazon
Artist Portfolio: http://walteralter.byethost32.com/
A REAL AMERICAN HERO
William Calley went to war
His country to defend
He came under a vicious attack
Endangering the lives of his men
In a village manned by Viet Cong
Protected by women and children
He made the decision to open fire
Though he felt it wrong
When the fire fight was finally over
Many women and children lay dead
The Viet Cong were taken prisoner
The lieutenant was filled with dread
His superiors caved to the media
And a court martial soon ensued
The lieutenant was sent to prison
Based on erroneous news
The 'innocent' women and children
Were the horrible tragedy of war
But their fear of death from the Viet Cong
Was overwhelming to them by far
Was Lieutenant Calley's decision wrong
In war, I say not so
However, he was sent to prison
And dealt a political blow
I pray that his superiors
Saw the error of their ways
And the media will one day learn
To report the truth without any bias
May those who died in all wars past
Be remembered as true heroes
And their honor will forever last
Not the memory of their foes
And no more court martials
To cover up political lies
Heaped on an American hero
While his faithful battalion dies
Curtis Moorman
Memorial Day 2014
For USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD6)
We Have Not Yet Begun..........
Some experiences leave words
inadequate to describe them
Like standing on the flight deck
of the USS Bonhomme Richard
Witnessing at sunset
the lowering of the colors
feeling the reverence and respect
shown as the flag flutters to rest
The solemn escort of the flag
that demonstrates devotion
to high ideals and freedom
Here on a ship with a name, deeply
steeped in history I am told the
motto, "I have not yet begun to fight"
Proud words that rang out long ago
from John Paul Jones
And so tradition carries on-
in the awesome technology deployed
in the constant fight against tyranny
During this tour I have learned
a whole new language
Important messages like
"Don't give up the ship"
and how the resolve of these words
shone from the eyes of every crew member.
The feeling of team-ship was strong
among them- yet I felt
as I stood at the side of a
certain Lieutenant Colonel
on that flight deck, that I
was in the presence of an American hero.
I will long remember
my visit to the USS Bonhomme Richard
In the little booklet I was given
it stated many facts and figures;
snippets of information of a
mind-boggling nature-
but the smiles and conversation
the crew were so willing to give
will live -in my heart forever.
I will be thinking of them
"Launching into the abyss,"
attending to commands- like
"Darken ship" and I will bless them always
for their roles in defending
our Freedoms
"WE.... have not yet begun....
to thank you for your fight
Dear men and women
of the USS Bonhomme Richard."
Suzanne Delaney