The privileged few, who dare to do
What all of us were far to scared to
Be a part of. In times of war,
A subtle gloom envelopes the floor
Of the path they tread, the enemy line.
Targets parade into open fire
In the grand parade of ever higher
Expectations for the common soldier.
"Have you no brains, Mr. Bolger?"
The crowd chants this in a frantic frenzy.
Who I ask, who would envy
Him in this time of troubled seas?
None until the wizard decrees
Oz is once again at peace.
Please Mr. Tin Man, have a heart!
You've torn Mr. Bolger's life apart!
The yellow brick road, now grown old,
Is no longer the lustrous color gold,
But now has worn by the march of war
To reveal worse times then ever before.
The coward, the lion, has lost its roar,
Dorothy's not in Kansas anymore.
I do implore, for the end of the gore.
To be done with Mr. Tin Man's war.
Back In the front line, Mr. Bolger will stand
For those who forget him, for his mighty home land.
The concrete sky stands solid for him.
His future, set in stone, leaves him alone
In a sea of unique, intelligent clones
That were sent away to protect their homes.
Maybe God forgot about Oz,
The wizard, and this empty cause.
Author notes
Mr. Bolger is the man who played the scarecrow in the "Wizard of Oz" movie. This is not meant in any way to accost soldiers, many of whom are among the most academically adept in the country. It is rather a stab at the general thought of society that the military is for "stupid people". Nor is this a stab at the soldiers jobs. They have accomplished much, I just disagree with doing it and in no way am I angry with any soldier in the military. The tin man is congress. The wizard is the president. Dorothy is the proletariat. The yellow brick road is the economy
A contest entry
- What Do You See? (Military version) by Shadowsong.
1700 points, ended October 28, 2008, 10 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Abstraction by NickBlaze.
2000 points, ended April 30, 41 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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In general, generals of now are not as well-rounded as they used to be in days of ancient China. However, times have also changed, I fear, so that complex battle tactics with melee fighters is obsolete.
The metaphors were certainly interesting, and the story just as much. However, it is not that abstract. Even so, it was a good read, for humor one, and for your beliefs on the current road America's taking, two.
I find it interesting why you chose to place it in the fictional world where Toto roams free! -
Excellent write
rich metaphor and stark contrast between oz and war. Thanks for explaining your meanings in a/n and thanks for entering this terrific write!
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