Past the uninformed of view, the soldier stands alone.
Uniformed, the proud, the few, no other takes his throne.
A crown of thorns, his helmet shrouds;
for conscience torn among the crowds.
Rest unkind inside your mind, you hero outside life;
the rest are blind, those so inclined to offer your heart strife.
Lift your head to heaven's shore
where battles come to 'never more.'
Upon this field of green and read, the soldier stands alone.
Prisoner of the living dead, they chill him to the bone.
A heart on fire his vest conceals;
to fire at will although he feels.
Rest unkind inside your mind, you children's hope of peace;
the rest are blind, those so inclined to offer no release.
Lift your eyes to children's sighs
while dandled on their mothers thighs.
Past the peaceful shore of bliss, the soldier stands alone.
The masses don't know what's amiss, the soldier has been shown.
A tearful eye behind his glare;
for humans who just will not care.
Rest unkind inside your mind, you patriot mother's son.
Their brothers taught them to be blind, and it's your race to run.
Best fathers feet his boots conceal;
that run to war so others heal.
Rest unkind inside your mind, you whom my soul adores;
Tests you find unlike my kind, away, on distant shores.
Chess masters mind behind the lines
in disasters clearing their land mines.
Rest, your kind, you are not blind, as others may well be.
For you traverse the finest line of care and depravity.
Heaven holds your very souls, you guardians of life;
who stare down hell in demons holes, and don't run from that strife.
Past the empty praise of men, the soldier stands alone.
Alone, yes time and time again, you guardian of the throne.
Undaunted duty is his will, and duty drives him on.
Duty, if to cure or kill, until the day he's gone.
Author notes
For the prompt mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. - Resubmitted to it's second contest about sacrifices we make. The sacrifice of conscience is the highest sacrifice a person can make, to condemn ones self so as to defend another is uncommon valor such that movies do not come close to. That is the heart and soul of this poem...the struggle of conscience against the result of inaction.
A contest entry
- PROMPTS! PROMPTS! MILITARY! PATRIOTIC! PRE-WRITES ALLOWED. by Beautiful-N-Broken.
700 points, ended October 11, 2007, 17 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - sacrifices by Carefuldelusion.
850 points, ended November 14, 2008, 21 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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I have nothing to say, I really don't know. I can't pick a favorite line, It was all so well written. I love the repitition. Thank you so very much. Instant favorite.
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Thanks very much!
The truth, the real truth of the matter is that no man controls death. No man carries a "body count" unless his aims are to make people die. "Unkind inside your mind" should not happen to any real soldier, whatever branch, whatever role...God bless you all...and comfort you.
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you do not understand , if you write to get things of your heart then I do not understand.
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Which prompt did you use? Please put it in your author's notes and I will come back and actually leave a comment on the poem.
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The original prompt that I followed was "mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind"
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