Echoes of war...centuries of blight.

To all those tiny waifs faces upturned their eyes so new to absence, moist with tears girls holding tight with trembling lips young lads who clung with earnest grips upon their Daddies legs refusing to let go then wailing with dismay at his goodbyes throughout the centuries war has been a blight their crying caught in check when his voice spoke to promise them that he would be back soon he turned and walked away to fight a war and vanished in the smoke and flames unleashed I speak for precious children left behind his promise lives, someday you'll be rejoined beyond the dust of graves...and Dads denied. To all the Moms, and Dads who gave much more then any cause should ask of them to give this boy they nurtured, smiling as he grew then frowning as the war drums banged their toll their dreams for sons did not include a trip to battle zones, to risk both life, and limb but patriots they touched his uniform they kissed his cheek, and hugged him one more time then sent him whole, and healthy off to fight but got back telegrams...and body bags some shiny medals, and some folded flags plus monstrous gaping holes left in their souls wherein echoed the words of his farewell, "Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'll see you soon." and in a sense his words they still ring true for when his parent's hearts they cease to ache they'll find him standing tall at heavens gate awaiting their return, so patiently he'll welcome them at last, forever home. To all those wives who watched their vows dissolve much earlier then they could ever fathom by shrapnel, bullets, bayonets, and swords "Death did them part..." upon some foreign shore each marriage formed ironic parallels Your husbands "marched down aisles"...then off to war know that your husbands left for "Honor" too they "Cherished" their homeland, both "rich and poor" in "Sickness, and in health" sworn to defend "For better, or for worse" they stood their ground. "United as one" each platoon advanced on bended knees they fell for sacred vows and know that in their final, ragged breath they whispered your names with great reverence your last kiss lingered sweetly on their lips your memories cradled them to paradise where someday God again will join your hands renewing love that "NONE" will put asunder and "Thank You" for your greatest sacrifice. To all young men who gave up hopes for love, Young saplings caught by thunder from above, those tall and strong who faced wars cruelest winds, when I.E.D.s and bombs removed thier limbs, sent home to sit as veterans alone, just trunks with souls in wards where love's postponed, or burned in fiery blasts that scorched thier skin, beyond all hopes of passion, they sit in, wheelchairs and watch the pretty nurses tend, the kind of wounds society can't mend, they gave up wives, or lovers and remain, an object women pity, but refrain, from ever viewing as someone to love, destroying all the joys that men dream of, I've walked the rows of beds where these men lay, And seen despair across their face convey, the wish that they could all be whole like me, They faced the fall, as wartime stole thier leaves, to come back home, and find love that relieves, the pains of being maimed, for them I grieve, more then even those who died, this I believe, for I have arms to hold, and legs to dance, and all my parts to share in sweet romance, but they have single beds where they will be, sad victims most folks never want to see. To all brave men who fought ...these words salute Brothers-in-arms who stood answering the call who lost their friends to crippling, sudden blasts or choked on nerve, or blood, or mustard gas as well as victims crushed by Agent Orange the years "Still" stake their claim, the death tolls rise to those who lost their limbs, and normal lives or fell to drugs, disease, or suicides to all who faced the British musket balls and those who fought for union in our land and those who sat entrenched against the Huns or belly crawled through sands at Normandy or scaled the lava crusts of Iwo Jima or shivered in the Chosin Reservoir or night patrolled jungles in Vietnam or faced the toxic winds of Desert storm or fell in flames on mountains of Afghan or took the bullet's puncture in Iraq each year we send more and they don't come back this poem's for you, your brothers gather yearly to guarantee you'll never be forgotten and when at last they "Fall out" from this life they'll join your ranks, "At Ease" on heaven's shores in glory, honored, peace at long last granted free from the pains of war forevermore. To all prisoners of war...and M.I.A.'s I offer you these humble words, and song our hopes for your return...they slip away for you've remained in limbo far too long unknown the place you fell, but still we care you haunt our thoughts, this is our solemn prayer "As long as there are men who have a voice recovery teams will search, it is our choice as veterans we always must demand a true accounting brought for every man return the fallen, here to their homeland for them anything less......it would be wrong I close now with my old familiar song... the lyrics that I wrote to sing with..(Taps) " Rest in Peace....Brave young men  free from sorrow, and pain....battle spent  from your humble graves, so alone  We shall come....and we'll carry you....Home." ~~~~~~~~~Artis-_U.S.Marines~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Written February 11th, 2002 © on Feb 11 2002 03:01 AM PST    personal