There lies before me a sea of flesh and blood
A wasteland of pride and conscription
Bodies ripped open for untouchable gods
Men in suits living like nothing has changed.
Paralyzed, I stand unmoving and stop breathing.
It wreaks here, of death and fear.
We all, knowingly, came to die for our country.
But now it's about so much more.
I came to come home a hero of quick victimless war
But in this massacre we've redefine the term war hero
What was once an act of glory is now an act of survival
What was once for my nation is now for the man next to me
Today I walk through a jungle of dead friends.
Today I learned that war was never victimless
Today I cried for my enemy, because we are the same men.
Today I knew that I would never be the same again.
I am a war hero.
I am a survivor
I am a weeping friend.
I am a solider.
I am a murderer.
I am ashamed.
Author notes
"Bravery is to be able to keep going when all you want to do is curl in a ball and die" - Unknown
The quote kinda fits my poem.
And my poem fits your contest because it is about the bravery of the men who go to war and those who are brave enough to still live in this world knowing the horrors it produces. Knowing actually seeing the horrors that men inflict and still being able to go on and live in this world takes a certain amount of courage and bravery. It's probably the hardest thing I could imagine someone doing. Being so close to everything wrong in this world and still going on.
A contest entry
- Move Me Again by zt.
423 points, ended July 28, 2006, 15 entries
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1050 points, ended November 25, 2006, 22 entries
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450 points, ended October 11, 2008, 20 entries
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675 points, ended May 26, 25 entries
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850 points, ended June 27, 15 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Anything Goes! by Karra-Mayy.
1600 points, ended November 21, 321 entries
• next poem in this contest, • Add to finalists list, or remove from contest - SOLDIERS OF VIETNAM: For those who died and those who Live: You ARE NOT FORGOTTEN by PassionsPromise.
1800 points, ended October 1, 12 entries
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1700 points, ended October 13, 36 entries
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What did you think
Comments
1 - 10 of 10
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Very well done. The very end of the poem sums up the feelings of alot of vets I have spoken with. I hope you have found peace.
Mike
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You have hit on several key issues and brought them forth. Most of all you have brought out the sadness that still exists in our minds today. We were alot of things but most of all we are surviviors.
We are dying off at the same rate as the WW II vets, but 10 to 15 years sooner than our fathers and uncles.
I could go on but will stop here, too many wasted lives and words already. F__k it, it don't mean nothing.
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This piece was strong and powerful.
I can feel your words tug at my soul
Nicely penned.
Passions
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Y-es....
But while they are there, I feel that everything I see questioning the war, is like an IED, as it gives succour to the Taliban. Yet your pooint is more complicated, and I doubt that any Taliban-sympathiser monitoring the site (and good luck to him!) would comprehend a thing.
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Brilliant! So incredibly well written. =]
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fantastic!
The beginning description of what a soldier sees ahead of him in battle is wonderfully written. I loved the second line, and the third line-- your use of the phrase "untouchable gods". In the third stanza I had to read the first line a couple times to fully grasp it, it's a bit awkward.
I LOVED the lines "What was once an act of glory is now an act of survival/ What was once for my nation is now for the man next to me". I've seen movies where soldiers are honored with medals for surviving. Surviving. Staying alive while the man next to you dies.
"Jungle of dead friends" is a great description. Crying for an enemy-- realizing that every man, no matter which side you're on, is fighting to stay alive.
The last stanza reminded me of one of my favorite songs, by Rise Against, entitled "Hero of War". Fantastic job capturing my attention and emotions! Good luck in my contest, thank you so much for entering!
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Your poem is amazing. I adore the way you express yourself here. Everything you said rings true, and you expressed it so beautifully.
Thank you for entering your poem here
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Excellent
Shocking, this is awesome it is true and deep well done.
Good luck in the contest.
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I agree with you alot. That simply dealing with the day to day of war would mean mustering up alot of courage. I liked the straight forward approach of this. the honesty. Thanks for sharing. I love that quote. Best wishes
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While they say that all is fair in love and war, even war has rules. Executing prisoners and deliberate killing of non-combatants does fall under the definition of murder. Still, when you come face to face with the enemy bodies, a soldier must come to grips with the fact that this is your job. I think you told this well. Thanks you for sharing it...
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