A Soldiers Song
There are those that try try and mock me,
Call me fool, a tyrant,
Even murderer
I cannot take offense
For they speak in ignorance
Which means,
My job was done.
They have no concept
Of the walks I took in hell
Of the horrors and the terror
Of my dear friends and how they fell
I smile at the foolish ignorance
Because my job was done.
They won't face the darkness
Or death at foul beasts hands,
They can celebrate their freedom,
And mock the price so dearly bought and paid for
The peace they celebrate,
So they call me monster
Treat me as a their slave
They cannot understand
that I celebrate.
That they have not felt the terror, shed tears or bled,
They don't live with the horrors
That live within my head
And I am content.
Their ignorance testifies
That my sacrifice
Has meaning
And my job was done.
The meme speaks truth.
That is why we volunteered.
The ignorant and cowards can mock what they can never understand.
The fact of their ignorance,
Means the Job was Done!
Very well said…and I am passing this on to every veteran I know…which is many!!
I agree with the embarrassment part…my ex is a vet and would always get embarrassed when thanked…so I now instead, will catch a soldier’s eye and give them a huge smile and a nod…I’ve always received the same in return!!
Despite the lurch toward group-think, the experience of any soldier is as individual as the person him/herself. Listen to Dylan's "Masters Of War," or Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," or, Donovan's "Universal Soldier." Whether we "pray" or not, it takes the most sober moment to fully drink in the reality that eventually "we" (the self) are gone and the insanity will continue with the shifting cast of characters ad infinitum. All we can do is act in our role and try and find brief moments with kindred spirits. The skill is recognizing when we are in each other's presence and accept that it might be all we ever get. Most don't ever get a nanosecond of clarity. Hello.