My heart is pounding as I try to hide
This emerging lump in my throat.
I steal a glance over my left shoulder
To see a sign in letters as large as my head:
Welcome to Korea
I keep my head trained in front of me -
Soldiers should be deciplined -
But my eyes continue to wander
As I think about that sign.
Ironic, Isn't it?
A new assignment, a new country, a new language -
And I'm greeted by a familiar English welcome.
I wonder how welcome I really am?
Or if it really matters.
It shouldn't, of course -
I'm here to do my job,
To protect and serve my country,
It shouldn't matter what these people think of me.
And yet somehow it does.
Somehow, I want to know what they really think.
But instead of focusing my energy
On all these worries,
I bottle up my concern,
Containing it within,
Putting more pressure on my exterior,
And making myself just a little stronger.
Moments like these are good for my mind,
But better for my resolve,
Which tells me that
No matter what anyone says
Or thinks about me,
I know who I am,
I know what I do,
And I know why I do it.
I am a soldier.
I am a Patriot.
A contest entry
- What Do You See? (Military version) by Shadowsong.
1700 points, ended October 28, 2008, 10 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think?
Comments
-
Nice job here; I thought the same thing as you, that it was odd (a) to have it in English, and then (
to say "welcome" when really, they are there perhaps not feeling under the most welcome of circumstances. You worded this well, although I felt the last two lines were a little disappointing; i think perhaps you could build them up a little more for more impact 
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A nice image you have painted for me here. I like that you really tried to give the people in the photo a personality. I don't know what they were thinking at that precise moment, but my own thoughts were similar to what you have penned here. Good job, and thank you for entering.
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