I stare at the papers,
The little dotted line,
Stale-old thoughts,
Clouding my mind.
Contemplating choices,
The decision I must make,
If I should, or if I shan't,
The risk that I might take.
"Life brings life"
A voice said to me,
"Some must die,
For others to be free."
"But to die," I said,
"Is to cease to exist"
[And that's the chance that we take,
When we choose to enlist.]
Said the voice in my head,
"Yes maybe that's true,
But there have been others,
Whom as well died for you."
"They asked you no payment;
Expected no prize,
As they went out to war,
And lay down their lives"
"Just stop it!" Said I,
"That might not be me,
For not all have to die
For all to be free!"
From that voice in my head,
I heard a great sigh
So I picked up my pen
And signed on that line.
For the truth of it is,
There is war every day,
In our minds & our hearts,
As well as soils far away.
Without those who will serve,
And those who will give,
What right do we have
To individually live?
You see fear has no factor,
When this burden you shoulder,
And that's the job that we take,
As an American Soldier.
Author notes
Hmm. My first poem in a while, but regardless it's very true.
I signed my enlistment papers on September 21, 2007 for the United States Army. Previous to signing the papers I was pumped and ready to go [I still am]. But when I was in that room...taking the oath, and then it came down to signing the papers [the final step] I was...anxious as all hell and not sure if I could do it.
So many fears and insecurities weighed on my mind, and then I realized it was up to me and people like me to take this responsibility and protect the nation I know and love.
So I signed [after much contemplation with the voice in my head].
So as a Soldier I know how it feels. And to all other soldiers [who have gone through similar, I'm sure] my respect goes out.
A contest entry
- Support Our Troops by Frodofan.
450 points, ended November 20, 2007, 14 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
:D
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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excellent!
To write from a soldiers perspective after that "gung ho" moment has passed adds a tremendous weight of value to your words. Well done! -
Its a love we show openly for our men and women in the services
We would be a country of sorrow and pain a country riddled and broken from shame .For without the ones to help keep us free life would never be the same for you and me .While our men and women go to foreign lands to stop the fighting to keep it from coming to our land what are we doing here to help stop the gangs and the drugs . This responsibility is all ours and again what are we doing to stop it and save the children and the families from breaking up .
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Tear Jerker
I loved this! My brother just signed as well, and I'll be sad to see him go... Touched me deeply, really made me want to cry. -
Amazing. I can say no more. You used brackets where it ought to be parentheses, but everything else was perfect!
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I like this, an honest man, perplexed by choices in a confusing world, talks to himself, airing the thoughts that oppose each other in his mind. Poetically simple frame for the age-old question - how can man make war on himself?
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