The Known Soldier Poem by Randy McClave

The unknown soldier lays in a tomb
Where pride and patriotism does always loom,
Visitors leave flowers and prayers at the sight
And the tomb is illuminated in both day and night.
He is the warrior that is still unknown
From the roots of patriotism he was fed and grown,
He is the soldier which is black, white, yellow and red
But, no-one knows who the soldier is, that lays their dead.
The Sentinels guard his tomb 24 hours
His tomb is always draped with multiple kisses and flowers,
And to which soldier do I dedicate this prose
Only God knows.
He gave his life fighting for our rights and for our freedom
When our country and others drastically needed him,
Because of soldiers like him our great land is free
He gave all that he had, now he forever lies in a cemetery.
He gave the ultimate sacrifice which was his life
To do it again, I don't think that he would ever think twice,
No man could ever be any braver or any bolder
In the tomb lies the unknown soldier.

Over there on the street corner is the known soldier
Begging for food and change is his order,
When our country had called he too was proudly there
But, no one gives him flowers or even a prayer.
Those who pass him by never give him thank you's or kisses
All that they give him instead is insults and hisses,
And for their rights and their freedoms he fought fiercely for
Then he came back tired and broken to our shore.
He had fought the battles and he had survived
But, sadly many times not in one piece to his home he arrived,
Sometimes he returned to his home spiritually and mentally broken
And about his pain and torture no words were ever spoken.
He still salutes lady liberty and the American flag
And like a beautiful woman about her he will always boast and brag,
And he will always give her a teary eyed salute
Whenever he sees her on his route.
No Sentinel ever walks at his side
No one ever gives him honor or respect or their pride,
And when looked upon they see his worn and tattered clothes,
He is the known soldier, that everyone knows.

Randy L. McClave