Field of Battle

[Eaglefeather]

I hope I am not breaking any rules by posting this here, but I think it is appropriate for the time.

I wrote this as the allies were preparing for the move into Afghanistan immediately following 9/11. It is meant as a tribute to the men and women that risk life and limb in defence of our Democracy and Freedom.

Field of Battle

Out on the field of Battle,
One brave soldier stands.
Scared and feeling so alone,
Quickly grown from boy to man.

Out on the field of Battle,
There are no favorites here.
Just you, your gun, your life,
And oh, so much fear.

Out on the field of Battle,
There comes a mournful cry,
Above the din of warfare,
You hear another brave soldier die.

Out on the field of Battle,
War's not a glorious thing,
In the mud with the dead and dying
You won't hear the angels sing.

Out on the field of Battle,
A bullet whizzes by,
He turns around in time to see,
His best friend fall and die.

Out on the field of Battle,
Part of his body torn to shreds,
It doesn't matter how you die,
The fact is much too soon your dead.

Out on the field of Battle,
The soldier drops down to his knees.
"All I ask of you dear Lord",
"Please, don't let that happen to me."

Out on the field of Battle,
It's the same old story,
The shameful spilling of a young man's blood.
There really is no Glory.

© Robert Valiquette, Nov 2001.
All rights reserved.

Dear Lord, please watch over all of our troops and bring each one back to homes and families safe and sound. Amen.

EF

[avx]

Wow, thats some great stuff eagle, great stuff!

[glc]

We have no problems at ALL with posts like this. As per Dok's announcement, all we ask is that things remain respectful and free from partisan politics.

[padawan]

Interesting poem. I kinda find myself liking it and disliking it. There is glory on the field of battle, when a common man rises above the rest and performs at a level he/she never could have imagined. It is amazing what normal people have done in the face of battle.

Nonetheless, something to think about.

[Eaglefeather]

Thank you avx.

Best reply I have had yet to this verse padawan.

At the time I wrote this everyone was clammering about the glory of going after Ben Laden and taking out the Telebahn. But war is not about glory, war is about settling a dispute by the use of deadly force. Sometimes there just is no other way.

This war is no different. I support, in fact I praise the President of the United States of American for having the intelligence to know when enough is enough and the moral fortitude to do something about it. But though I support this war, does not mean that I think of it as a glorious act, it's not. It is a last resort to rid the world of a tyrant.

As for Glory, only an individual through personal bravery against extreme odds can achieve glory in a war. But you ask that man if he was glorious and he will tell you, "No! I did what I had to do." So you see, there really is no glory.

Peace Brother,
EF

[brassman]

Excellent poem, Eaglefeather!

[padawan]

I think the average person is wrapped in the media version of glory, while your poem discusses the real face of battle. I've never been on the ground in the trenches, only thousands of feet above the fight in an aircraft. I cannot imagine the way those boys must feel.

Scares me to think about it, actually.

In the end, I feel glory is decided by the people who weren't there, the same people that hand out the medals. The Medal of Honor winners usually have a similar reply, did what I had to do.

[Eaglefeather]

Exactly.

EF