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Open Poetry #47
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Memorial Day
| Open Poetry #47 |
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Memorial Day |
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Abe Senior Member
since 2003-05-28
Posts 694Looks like Vero Beach, FL until the end! 
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Section Sixty The Saddest Acre In America Men and Women buried here Who gave their all for you and me In Iraq and Afghanistan So that, others, might be Free. Row after row of headstones Where friends and families grieve They pay respects and say a prayer There's some, don't want to leave. Some will place a memento For their Hero, ‘neath the ground And far too often, during the day Hearing "Taps", a mournful sound. The white stones bear their Name Rank and Branch and conflict Served The dates of Birth and Death And the Citations, they deserved. Maybe, a symbol for their Faith Something, etched above their name But no matter what, their beliefs They're all treated just the same. Once, Comrades in Battle And now, resting neath that stone Forever with, those other Heroes So, they will never be alone. Section Sixty, just a small part Of this sacred, hallowed ground But, each plot a special place Where, a Hero may be found. They all are in good company Two hundred sixty thousand souls Buried here at Arlington Some young, with unfulfilled life goals. All Served our Country selflessly And they all deserve our praise We should, remember them and thank them Not just, only on, these holidays. Del "Abe" Jones 05.23.2009 Memorial Day 2010 Are we really any safer now After all these years of sadness? With another thousand killed at war In the Afghanistan madness. It’s just another dirty business Of arms makers, politicians Where the people pay and die And companies make those billions. They don’t care about lives, lost And they tell us, we must fight To keep the war over there Out of mind, and out of sight. “We must fight them over there.” “So, we don’t have to fight them here!” They say, “Freedom is threatened!” And, keep war, fueled with, that fear. “Diplomacy won’t work with them!” But, do we really do, all we can? Do we really give peace a chance? Is going to war, the original plan? The military/industrial complex Has no interest in peacetime Ships and planes, bombs and bullets Make for, a better, bottom line. Pain and suffering doesn’t matter Our dead, are just part of the cost Sometimes, it seems, they don’t care Whether a war is won or lost. We go to those other Countries And tell them, “We know the way!” “We know, what’s best for you! “We can show you, freedom’s way!” They don’t want us in their lands And all we do is breed more hate Turn more people into enemies Who once thought, the US was great. Usually though, it’s about, “things” Land, or some natural resource Greed and power also play a part But the big one, is oil, of course. The price is always paid by folks Who never, benefit at all Scarred for life, wounded, killed When they answer, a nation’s call. We must always Honor them Those, who go into, harm’s way Thank them for their sacrifice And the ultimate price, they pay. The last just war we were involved in Was during, World War Two The World, was really threatened And we did, what we had to do. While we must fight the terrorists Is invading others, the right course? We can’t police/control the World With all, this military force. Mankind thinks he’s the pinnacle Of all, the Earthly creations But actually, we are a scourge Of Human’s, warring nations. We claim that we are the wisest Of all the other forms of life As we plunder, pillage, kill Cause, most of our World’s strife. While we hasten our destruction And send our young off to die Maybe, on this Memorial Day We should all, ask the question, “Why?” Del “Abe” Jones 05.23.2010 Here’s a great song written by a Soldier in Afghanistan. http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do;jsessionid=5F6C72B 89E112D57DEDBEDE29BFD1E7E?displayContent=213461&page=4 Memorial Day, 2007 Another sad Memorial Day To Honor all of those lost As we tally up another year Of all, that this War has cost. Nearly thirty-five hundred Families To mourn the death of a loved one How many more must we add Before this War is finally done? Let's not forget all those wounded More than twenty-five thousand strong Though this day is for the Dead To Honor these too, can't be wrong. First observed in Eighteen sixty-eight And the “list”, continues to grow As real Peace seems so elusive Something, we'll probably never know. It's not in the Human psyche To get along, with one another It seems that all we know to do Is just one War after another. So, this day we Honor those Heroes -Who marched off to War to die Sometimes for a noble cause And some, those times when some ask, “Why!” But, one thing we can always count on There's always those Heroes-to-be Who step up, Sacrifice their lives So that other people, might be Free. Del “Abe” Jones 5.22.2007 Heroes, Every One! Memorial Day, 2006 More than we should care to count With more added every day The death toll from this hapless War Is far too high, a price to pay. We were convinced by false words From those in whom we put our trust Were told for the safety of our Country That invading Iraq was a must. But our Nation seems no safer And many feel that things are worse As we lose more friends around the World And become a Land to hate and curse. Our Troops are the bright shining light Who will go there and risk their all Each of them, a true life Hero Men and Women, standing proud and tall. Most all of them are only kids The way Wars always seem to be The young are sent to fight and die For the sake of Democracy. But, as the body count keeps growing And the real truth becomes more clear People and Troops are finally asking “What are we really doing here?” The Taliban are coming back And Osama still has his plan We should have finished what we started When we went to Afghanistan. But we diverted our attention And caused another breeding place For all kinds of terrorists and nuts The scourges of the Human Race. Maybe sanity will soon prevail And let us hope it’s not too late To end this and bring Troops Home Before they know that deadly fate. For, no matter how each of us feel About the politics of this War We’ve sacrificed enough Americans For the answer to, “What for?” Let’s bring them back and Honor them And not forget when War is done Treat all our Veterans as we should As our Heroes, each and every one. And there’s not enough praise To give all those who gave their life And all those wounded and maimed Left with the pain of Wartime’s strife. Del “Abe” Jones 5-24-2006 A National Moment of Remembrance On Memorial Day That poem about where “poppies blow” And, “the crosses, row on row” Still rings true, these ninety years After written, still brings tears. We still have Dead, “amid the guns” And lose our young and our loved ones Those who lived, “short days ago” Who, “felt dawn, saw sunset glow”. In Flanders Fields, “the poppy red” Still grow near where the blood was bled They, “Take up our quarrel with the foe” And still die for Freedoms that we know. They pass, “The torch” to, “hold it high” And not, “break the faith with us who die” For they, “shall not sleep, though poppies grow” Beneath all those, “crosses, row on row” In Flanders Fields. Del “Abe” Jones Memorial Day A time for picnics, time off work Vacations and the "Indy" A holiday, too often times We forget what, it should be. A time to pay respect to those Who rallied to the battle cry Who gave their lives for liberty Those freedoms for you and I. Such a waste of brave young souls Some still struggling through their youth Who faced and fell willingly Before wartime's awful truth. So as we share this holiday With our friends or family Take a moment to give thanks to Those who died so we'd stay free. Let us strive for world peace For the end of greed and hate For next time, after "the war" It surely, just could be too late. Freedoms' Memorial This day is set aside to honor those who took the chance to die. But they have died in vain if we ever forget the reason why. Freedom can be like time slipping away before we even know. But we all have the choice more, a duty to battle freedoms' foe. Let us give thanks this day to all those brave who paid the highest cost. Not take it for granted and realize it easily could be lost. Del “Abe” Jones Memorial Day We've Troops around the World Who put, their Life on the line And sometimes give their All For, Freedoms of yours and mine. But now, it seems much different We ask them, in another’s name To Protect their Freedoms, too And Sacrifice, like it’s the same. But, you can’t give Freedom away It’s something, you must embrace And it may not always work In, each and every time and place. We can’t change centuries of life And ask our Troops to lead the way To place their lives in jeopardy Just because, the Politicians say. But now, that we are in this mess It must be seen through to the end And a Prayer said, for those who die Amongst those brave souls, we send. It’s so sad at this year’s Tribute We must add, all those Names we do With the hope, that someday All these Wars will be through. Del “Abe” Jones Only Numbers? (for Veteran's Day but works here, too) Two hundred, twenty-eight years That, we have been going to war Eleven times we said, “For freedom!” Was, what we were fighting for. We’ve spent two, point, six trillion plus But that was just a petty cost Compared to all of the spent lives Of those loved ones, who were lost. Thirty-two hundred plus, a month For more than thirty-six years The total time fighting our enemies And more time, shedding our tears. One and one quarter million dead That’s more than fifteen every day Since we went to war, “For freedom!” In our Revolutionary way. One and one half million wounded For this Country of the Free Although some of these losses Were the Union’s and Confederacy. But, all of them are Veterans Who fought for what they believed In their own way, doing battle For those Freedoms, they perceived. As of late, a Veteran’s definition Has come from a different kind of War For which we all, are conscripted To help guard, our Freedom’s door. Let’s Honor, each and every one And though we may not know each name They were so much more than numbers In every Wartime’s deadly “game”. And, each November eleventh In the years, that come to be Let’s hope someday, all People Live in a land, where they are Free. Let’s make Veteran’s Day a memory And a part of days gone past Learn to live with our Fellowman In a Free World at Peace, at last. Del “Abe” Jones Another Memorial Day Taps play mournfully o’er the grave Loved ones bow their heads and weep The Flag folded, casket lowered down And the Hero, laid to endless sleep. This scene played out too many times With all the sadness and the pain As War torn hearts ache with the loss It happens, time and time again. All people should attend a Service To see the Honor Guard in dress attire To hear the bugler play that sad tune And to be startled, when the rifles fire. A small tribute to those who gave all The true Patriots of our great Land To face the horrors of the battlefield Where sometimes, Freedom makes its stand. War seems to be the only way, we humans Know, to change what we don’t like It seems; peaceful times are short lived Before there’s another military strike. The military/industrial complex wins No matter, if war is won or lost And the New World Order thirst for power Uncaring, what their selfish goals may cost. Maybe one day, we can live together And learn to respect those different ways Before we destroy ourselves and Earth And end the terrible price the Soldier pays. But until that day finally comes, if ever And our Brave, no longer have to die We must Honor their ultimate sacrifice Even as we wait and ponder, "Why?" And instead of just a day off work To enjoy the pleasures of our Country Just remember what this day is for To Honor those who gave all, for you and me. Del "Abe" Jones 5.20.2008 A Poet A poet knows not day or night And not always wrong from right But without the poet’s written word Think of all we mightn’t heard. Del "Abe" Jones Del "Abe" Jones Mankind's greatest accomplishment is not the revolution of technology, it is the evolution of creativity. copyright 1984 More poet |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
Maybe one day, we can live together And learn to respect those different ways Before we destroy ourselves and Earth And end the terrible price the Soldier pays. But until that day finally comes, if ever And our Brave, no longer have to die We must Honor their ultimate sacrifice Even as we wait and ponder, "Why?" Excellent collection of highly sensitive and compassionate tributes, dear Del-Abe! Love and peace. Margherita "Love is the One who masters all things; I am mastered totally by Love." (Rumi) |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Precious thoughts for those that lost their lives serving their Country...James |
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Abe Senior Member
since 2003-05-28
Posts 694Looks like Vero Beach, FL until the end! |
Yes, too bad more people don't care. If they did, we wouldn't be there! Del "Abe" Jones |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Abe, each of these poems stand on their own merit. Thank you. |
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Abe Senior Member
since 2003-05-28
Posts 694Looks like Vero Beach, FL until the end! |
Thank YOU! Del "Abe" Jones |
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