A young wife got a letter from the mailman late today
She ripped it open eagerly to see what it would say:
My darling I’ll soon be leaving to fight this awful war
It’s something that I have to do as others did before
I’m sorry when our child is born that I will not be there
But I must defend our country and this uniform I wear
A young mother got a letter from the mailman late today
She quickly tore it open and this is what it had to say:
My darling with this letter I send to you my heart
I miss you and I wish we didn’t have to be apart
Our company is shipping out; we soon will join the fight
Please kiss our son and tuck him safely into bed tonight
A young widow got a letter from an officer today
He put his arms around her and this is what he had to say:
Your husband died a soldier and I know it’s no consolation
But I bring to you a Thank You from a deeply grateful nation
It’s important that I tell you that he died a hero’s death
He saved a dozen comrades before drawing his last breath
A mother got a letter from the mailman late today
With trembling hands she opened it to see what it would say:
Mom, I’ll soon be leaving to fight this awful war
It’s something that I have to do as my father did before
You know he died a hero and I hope I’ll do my part
To make you very proud of me as I wear his purple heart
Author notes
Written January 24th, 2004
In a list
A contest entry
- AMERICA LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by Talking Toni.
600 points, ended July 31, 2008, 22 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
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Touching!!!!
This was a heartwrenching piece that touche my heart deeply. Unfortunately, a sad and common part of war and the armed forces that protect liberty for us here and their sacrifices are not in vain...They are indeed heroes!!!Thanks or your entry and the best of luck in my contest!!!~~Toni~~
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Thank you for entering my military contest. In recent times those letters are being reveived way to often. When will it all end??
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This touched my heart deeply
; I, too, can understand why this won the contest! This is a very poignant/very well done piece of poetry! Thank you for sharing!
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AMAZING!!!
i can see why you honestly won this contest. this was one of the best poems i've read recently. it was so well-written and i thought it was above and beyond what the contest asked for. take care <<33 -
omfg sewasham why do you do that lol...you jerk you're so good at writing...the overwhelming jealousy lol....great write and very emotional. very sad, almost made me shed a few tears. you not only went with the option, but you outdid the option. great job. and good luck in the contest, thanks for following the rules too. very appreciated!
Firefly
P.s....thanks for entering lol -
There is little more to say about this piece that hasn't already been said ,and far better than I could wonderful Congratulations on your award Excellent
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SUPERB
I found this a very compelling read. Excellent in content and format. I was very moved by your words.
Congratulations on the bronze. A worthy recipient.
Wishing you a Happy New Year,
Take care,
Sammy -
This is beautiful and it rhymed so well ... good luck.
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This is very beautifully expressed.....discriptive and with much thought presented....I felt the words with not innocense...but with preserved thoughts of something so sad and heartning......I loved the whole writing from start to finish.....the story it tells is not something anyone need happen to them...but in reality....it happens almost daily....beautifull and sadning....
Hugs
Malabu -
well here she is! I must say this touched my heart, my soul..
I am so sorry if this is true? the entrries we have are indeed going to be so very hard to judge..thank you for this entry..and good luck in the contest..Linda
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Wow, I definitely liked this one, gave me goosebumps as I read it. It's very realistic and it makes you realize just how much one person can lose, such as a husband and a son, or others, and the only real consolation is that they died a hero's death. Great write and good luck in the contest, thank you for entering.
-Irish Coffee- -
Well done, a moving poetic story. You should place well in this contest. I am gald I amnot judging it. I have been reading some very nice writes here. I guess it's a matter of what they want or are looking for.
I wish you the best of luck. Your poem is definitly a keeper.
Den -
WOW!
OMG! I have tears!!!! NOBODY brings tears to my eyes (well almost nobody)!!!! You wrote an incredible story that happens every single day! Thanks and Peace! -
Okay, this brought tears to my eyes, so you know it was awesome. Man, this should have won the gold. The other two that won didn't do nething for me. Maybe it's because I'm a big fan of the troops, and I have a lot of family and friends over there. Whatever. It was sad, but still beautiful, like all your works. ~Ari
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This is a great poem. It's really sad. I think that this one will truly be the one to win.
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This is truly a sad piece, the flow went great and made the tears roll out!
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The Best of The Best
VERY VERY NICE! Bravo! Bravo! -
not only do i love all your poems, i love how you seem to have the perfect backround to go with it. nice job on this piece. very heart wrenching.
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happen's, nice work
Yeah, this is true!
Happen's yet when it happens 2 u, that's most breaking right? Nice ! -
This was beautiful. I loved it! I hope you win because this poem deserves a trophy!
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this was a really good poem. it drought tears to my eyes. you are a really good poet
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OMG! This made me cry. You couldn't have wrote it better. This is the best thing that I've read in forever. Absolutely beautiful. Sorry for the events that lead you to write this amazing poem.
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aww that is so sweet and sad and everything else.... it hit me hard cause my boyfriend is in the army and is very eager to go over seas and actually had a chance to go fight in iraq but didnt cause he wasnt ready yet and knew i wasnt ready for thta yet.... omg thanks for the poem that actually helped me
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awww so sad! there's tears in my eyes. this poem was amazing! the flow was perfect! well great write
-Kaitlin -
I love this poem
being a mother of 5 boys a mother in law to a son in the 3rd infantry I felt this brought a new approach to the meaning of war. You did a tremendous job and I appreciate the emotions the journey I traveled as I read this. Thank you for writing this wonderful piece and sharing it with all of us. -
you have taken an event that touches many in different ways and put it into a poetic form,which doesn't minimize the severity of the situation but appeals to all hearts,whether pro or anti-war.the progression of the piece shows the emotion process it encounters and denotes how war seems to be never-ending.this is a brilliantly done piece and it neither defames or support the war but embraces the soldiers as heroes.
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whoa...im speechless! i dont even know what to say except WOW!
God Bless,
Jarred -
Wow......just wow! This poem made me cry, it was so good! You are such a good writer! Great job!
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Awwww! This is VERY touching for me. I have a friend who left for the war but I hope he gets to come back soon. This is such a great peice and I love the way it was written. I enjoyed reading every bit of it, though I did not cry... Thank you for trying though.
~squeekers, queen of the underworld squirrels and minions~ -
Dramaticly Touching!
This was a timely affectionate work of art! I love the drama and
sensitivity you put in this piece. Especially during these stressful times when we are at war. I hope everyone viewing this poem will pray for our soldiers. It's a shame that people have to die for the foolishness of others who risk nothing. Just think about it. With one stroke of the pen so much death and destruction is wrought. Very well written. -
this took me on an amazing journey here... Loved the repitition of the first two lines of each stanza. However, in the last stanza, the woman's title as a mother seems almost too repetitive of the second stanza (a young mother). I wouldn't be able to think what else to call her there, though.
As before, amazing job here. thank you so much for entering.
Jen -
OMG so beatiful and touching I am crying. You did so a great job in writing this you made a very tuff point. I dont ever wont to get a letter saying my love one has died in this war, but if I do I know the died with pride, dignity, and honor.
I am third generation military and soon to be second generation Army So I saw thank for writing such a beatiful piece.
~Hippie~ -
wow this was so touching. I think you covered well the circumstances men go to war in. The troops have a job to do, which yes they choose to do but we as a nation owe them our full suppot, even if we don't support the reasons for the war, or the war itself out troops deserve all of our support they are doing their job, to make sure we keep our freedom. If it wasn't for them and the troops before them, this country would not be as it is today, we would not be able to speak our minds, or wear what we want, women probably wouldn't be equal to men, and we probably wouldn't know what a democracy was.This was a wonderful and sweet poem. The whole thing was touching and brough tears to my eyes. The first stanza really touched me and made me cry I have a friend that is in that situation. Thank you for writting this and good luck in the contest.
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wow that was such an incredible poem, such is the cost of war and our freedom, i realy like how you wrote this poem its truely a grate write and i wish you the best in this contest
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...I almost cried, oh my god, its wonderfull, I think I will just be silent and applaude...
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wow, this made my skin tingle. I enjoied reading this a lot. I just watched white Christmas yesterday and it was running through my head as I read this poem. I also like your backround
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OUTSTANDING
You brought tears to my eyes with this piece! The very thought of all of what you said saddens my heart to know that this is probably true for so many people! Great Piece! -
Simply incredible
This is by far the most touching poem I have read on this entire site and possibly my favorite poem I have read in general. Besides the difficult subject matter, the flow was amazing and the words used, perfect. I just want to thank you for sharing this write with me. -
This one breaks my heart! My one and only smoochie girl is enlisting in the Air Force in May and I will miss her so much. You paint such incredibly graphic images with your words and for once I have to admit that I wish you weren't so doggone good at it. I am so proud of my daughter and I would never discourage her from doing and being all that she can, I couldn't anyway, she is way too much like me, but boy will I miss her. This is wonderful Steve. Good luck in the contest.
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wow...this was amazing..*tear* it was a beautiful piece of work..i enjoyed reading it..thank you for entering and good luck..
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aww thats simply amazing and very touching! very well written!
Pheonix:: -
I read this poem when u first wrote it!! and ive been trying to find it ever since, finally i was looking through poets and i saw ur name.. and it clicked... i new u wrote it!! om gosh.. so i searched ur poems and found it!! this is a awsome write, when i showed my mom awhile ago, she cried!! congrates on this and thanx sooooooo much for writing it! I loev this piece and you deserve an award for it, but since I don't have many points i cant applade you, sorry!! but when i do get more point hopefully ill remeber and ill applaude this!! Im so glad I found it!!
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Oh Wow, this brought tears to my eyes. The emotions are running throught me right now. What you have written is every mothers worst nightmare. I have two children and I pray that they never have to fight in a war, but I will say that the poem you have written is art. Your words hit close to home, i have many friends over in iraq right now, and it scares me that they will never make it home. Thanks for entering my contest and the best of luck to you...your background is awesome, goes well with the poem..
Thanks again,
Tammy
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ooh very good. i like it. very deep and emotional. the last line was good, the purple heart image is a great idea. nice consistent poem, thanks for entering!
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Stunning
This is a treasure of a poem. I haven't read anything like it before. It simply tears at the heart strings. The child grows up and joins the service just as his father did and now he wears his father's purple heart. What a remarkable write. So much feeling went into this, so much hope and dreams, so much love. Absolutely wonderful. I applaud your hardwork. 
Avril
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All I can do is applaud this... it was so beautiful. My brother is a marine and one of my best friends is as well, he's leaving to Iraq for 6 months in August, and this piece really reminded me of how important they both are to me and how precious our freedom really is.
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Great write sewasham, full of patroitic feelings and actions. Too bad about the sad ending, although it is true to life. War is Hell. Good luck in the contest.
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That was incredible. I'm sitting here with chill bumps now. You're style is lovely as well.
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exellent, moving piece
wow... that was unbelievably moving! omg that was such a sad poem, it was absoloutly amazing. your ryhming was perfect and i just really felt for the woman in this poem, it must be such a hard thing for a mother to go through and i think you wrote just what it would be like perfectly! love it! good work
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wow. this is an amazing piece. it's so sweet, and so sad...wars and the people who give their life to fight for their country bring tears to my eyes. your rhyme and rhythm are excellent, and this is just a wonderful piece. fantastic job, and thanks for entering <33
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wow...
Wow, this is amazing the way you've put the stanzas all together, like pieces of a puzzle... the poem made my heart break for the woman and put a lump in my throat. This was so powerful. What an emotional write. Good luck in the contest, and I do think you'll place.
- sky. -
Aww... that is so sweet, and very sad. This was very well-written. Great job. Keep up the good work. And thank you for entering my contest!!
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OH WOW . . . AMAZING . . . THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST POEMS I'VE EVER READ . . . seriously . . . wow . . . dang . . . oh my goodness . . . You should win! This can bring tears to anyone's eyes! Good luck!
~~~§hanna~~~ -
omfg....you have rendered me speachless.....
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stupendous!
*gasp* WOW! OK Steve, that does it, you're going on my favourites list. This poem will also be getting applause, but tomorrow, not today. I used up a lot of points already on applause today.
This is a wonderful, amazing piece. BEAUTIFUL! Excellent rhyme and rhythm, mete, flow...everything fits so perfectly. I love the way the first line of each stanza ties to each other. An amazing piece, bravo, encore, encore!!! 
Big s! You're an amazingly talented writer, keep penning!
~Goldmare~
May the Horse be with you -
Wow..no wonder you won first..this was a completely brilliant poem!
This Easter, I think it is important that everyone remember the troops that cannot be with their families...great poem of rememberance... -
truely astonishing
Oh my god that was sooo beautifully written no wonder you won! Amazing, truely amazing. You are a wonderful writer, keep it up! -
OMG, goose bumps, i've never read anything that gave me those or was that great until now! Your an amazing writer...
-cj -
this is a great write ,its so sad , Im lost for words ,it made me cry,im speechless , I dont know what to say! this poem is the greatest, patent it!
Edited on Apr 07, 1:42 because 'i applaud this poem'. -
Oh wow, man, wow. I don't know what else really to say. Words can't really do anything for the intensity in this peice. How can you say " this is a wonderful, personal, awesome peice" in better words? Really you can, but for the topic this was about, no words can compare. Anyway, yes this is an excelent peice and I wish you the best of luck in the contest.
Vampress -
That brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to reach and tell the son not to go. It's great the way each verse starts the same apart from a slight difference, and it flows perfectly and rhymes beautifully all the way through .
~xJox~ -
Going through the poems, I noticed this one. I hadn't commented on it before and for that I apologise. This is truly a brilliant poem, heartwrenching and so vivid. Thankyou.
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omg this is sooo sad,great write i loved it, not many people will be able to read this without getting struck with sadness,this is very very good, glad you won,you deserved it,keep uo the amazing poems.
keep rockin
K!TTY -
:'( On the verge of crying!! I truly liked this write.. thank you for joining in on contest.. I will be judging them soon.. and I am sorry I didn't comment any earlier...
-Jess -
Sad stuff...
Nice to read it again..
Beautiful poetry -
Unbelievable
Oh God.. this is so beautiful... so very touching.. I don't know what else to say... I'm deeply touched and in shock... -
terrific
i don't cry...simply put, but this poem had me bawling!!!!!i love it was beautiful!!!!! -
terrific
i don't cry...simply put, but this poem had me bawling!!!!!i love it was beautiful!!!!! -
Hi sewasham
Thanks for sharing this with us. Once again you have caught me,
I have all types of feelings from your work. This is a sad emotion and brought tears to my eyes. I see different things and feelings throughtout your work and hope I can learn from it. Great -
Oh wow, this is just so fantastic. Just wow. I simply love poems about war and conflict. You would see to have found one of my weaks spots. This is just so full of fantasticly sad emotion. Thank you so much for sharing your words and experiences with all of us here, and good luck in the contest.
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whoa, this seriously brought tears to my eyes, i love it and it is so beautifully written. wow ....
Meg -
hmm that was really good im getting some good entires now and thats really good this was sad and brought tears to my eyes
amy -
hmm that was really good im getting some good entires now and thats really good this was sad and brought tears to my eyes
amy -
What a great write! I love it. Thanks so much for entering the contest and I just wanted to wish you the best of luck. Take care.
Laura -
This is a very well written poem. It is thought out, tender and touching. I love how it goes full circle and that by the end it is the son going to war. It is heartbreaking what war can do to a family, and I feel sad for the woman in this poem. Great job here, brilliant. Thank you for entering this poem into the contest-
Jess -
This was a deeply touching piece. No matter what issues one may have with war or whatever one has to respect the lives of teh soldiers putting there lives on the line every day. Your words show truth and stories of great devotion and I hope, whatever we may feel, inspires deep appreciation for those enduring what we do not so that we can have what we do.
~JayLynn
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kewl poem!
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Moving
Hmm, very nice! A lot of feeling. You manage to convey a very strong emotion prominent in war-time. I haven't looked at any of your other poems, so I don't know, but do you have first-hand experience with war? Thank you for sharing, it's a very moving piece to be sure. -
2 Thumbs Up
Damn you! Here I am sitting at my desk at work crying! I cried all yesterday too because I finished "The Bruise on Anna's Face" Everyone's gonna think I'm depressed!
This was wonderful...I loved your thought process...the way you brought the poem full circle! Great job and good luck in the contest. -
very good
I see you are in your usual fine form. You always have something worthwhile to say, and you always say it so well. Great job!
Best wishes,
Moses -
sniffle sniffle. What a powerful piece. Packed with so much emotion. I think you nailed this one. Great write. ~~Shannon~~
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simply logical
i like the passing of few rhymes and the thoughts may not be that of a letter. its about courage, pride, honor, patriotism, it deals with family, love ones, country then death and heroism... how can we put that in one title? SIMPLY IN A LETTER... and the bacground speaks of the situation itself... a lenghty lines to follow but nevertheless a very good write... Goodluck in the contest. -
this piece of poetry has something about,although can not define it very precisely,but it has some ring to it.Good luck.
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That was great! It's very true. We often forget the people that are left behind when a soldier goes away. )= - Em
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touched me
Beautiful, I got shivers down my spine from the orginality and truth of it. I loved your rhymes and the beat was amazing. It really touched me -
thought provoking and bitterly true, so may lives are wasted in wars, so needesly fought, mostly over power and greed rather than freedom of lives. a clever write.
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heartbreaking and bueatiful
Oh, this is going to make me cry!!! This is great. I love the flow, it's put together so well. It makes it easy and quite enjoyable to read ((not that it wouldn't have been great to read anyway, it's so toutching and bueatiful... ::tear:: ))
In anycase, I'm obviously not the only one who enjoys this, so I hope you'll believe me when I say this is an amazing poem!! -
oh wow that was heart wrenching. *wipes away a tear* it's so awaful that all these young men and women are going to fight in the war. this captures the feelings of those left behind.
Thank you.
~Stephanie -
Great Stuff
Great Stuff -
Excellent write. Excellent metrics. Excellent Depth. Excellent.
emvyar. -
It is so sad that we have to have lose our love ones to wars.I just can't undrstand the say the war is over yet troops are being killed more now. You have done a wonderful job writing this poem, you are a grat writer. God bless you!
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astounding
you are astronomical.this is without a dout one of the best things i have ever read.the emotions are stark.the fork is great.it flows easy with great rhymes.the contents are truly the most winning point.i will read more of you for sure. -
you're poetry is amazing...tears were forming in my eyes as I read this. it was so moving and passionate. thank you for sharing your talent
-Peace- -
wow this was such an emotional write with alot of heart. you must have put alot of time and effort in this one...a ver moving adnn sad write..awesome job!!!
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beautiful poem sad and true!Thank you for sharing and making me remember the brave ones that die for our right to live in freedom.
Freedom comes at a priceless price. -
very thought provoking. makes me think why? why does there have to be war anyway, everyone ends up losing something. something that doesnt have to be lost. but anyway very good poem. it had great words and great rhyme.
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wow. i think i'm gonna cry... this piece was absolutely moving and... and... there i go. *sob* LOVED this, thank you so much for sharing, i greatly appreciate it.
~ladyspazz /f -
that is deep! It reminds me of my great great uncle who fought in world war 2. He told me about sending letters to his wife and writing about his son he never met yet. It is always hard to hear about these kinds of stories. I couldn't imagine what the woman in your story was going through. It's a scary thing.
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Oh. I hate war stories. They always make me cry. You just did that. *sob* But it was really really superbly well written. Touched my heart. It is a very strong poem on a very strong subject. Keep writing.
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