A Soldier Home From A War Poem by David Harris
A Soldier Home From A War
Daymare demons spiral your head.
There is no rest in your soft bed.
Images of death reveal.
The guilt you hide, but feel.
A war of shadows.
Where you once fought.
In back gardens where children play
For only peace you wished and sought.
The grass green hills of your childhood remain.
But there, there was no death sign
Wife and kids you greet at garden gate.
They don’t see your inner hate.
They don’t see your embroiled conscience,
or know the infliction you bare.
They’re only too happy to have you home.
Home to love and share.
You are a soldier home.
A soldier home from a war,
Trying your guilt to hide.
Trying to forget the child you shot, that died.
The war was someone else’s.
Why should you really care?
It only really strikes home,
when you see a child dying there.
Visions cloud your mind of voices in despair.
Why did we have to die so young?
Why did our mother’s have to mourn?
Soldier from another land, please tell us why?
The soldier’s forehead frowns.
The answer he can not give.
He was only sent there.
So other have a chance to live.
Now his war is over.
Over his home he now resides.
But the voices of despair.
Still ring in his head.
He cries to himself in silence.
How can his conscience bare.
The purgatory it must go through.
Knowing he killed a child fair.
18 July 1978
Nothing is ever as it seems. The faces of returned soldiers often hide so much. If young men knew what they were going into! ! ? Another very convincing mindscape. You bring wisdom and incisive insights to your work David, but it never has a forced quality, which is very hard to achieve. Another valuable, high quality poem. jim
The nightmares of the horrors they have seen, reliving every moment in dreams, how do you switch it all off, and try to go back to life as once it had been, all the while feeling the guilt of having Survived... David 10
I think that the emotion you poured into this, makes it stand up by itself, very profound writing, Love duncan X
A very heartfelt poem that shows the pain of war. Pain for everything involved. So sad and so open and true. Marilyn
You make us feel what it must have been like for that soldier and live in his shoes. So well described, and makes you sit up and realise just what they go through during and after war to keep us safe
Hi David This poem makes my heart go out to all soliders that fight in wars, what must they go through, their minds must be so tormented.You have written this poem with a heart felt mind, (beautiful work) I have written a poem called (Treasured Friends0 you may care to read it when you get time.
I'm sure you are speaking of one particular soldier here but the beauty and sadness all in one, of this poem could speak to many soldiers coming home from combat. Well done David
Very touching and genuine. i am sure you have eloquently expressed what many young men suffer in silence. Take care. Warm regards, Sandra
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/25/2024 7:24:05 AM # 1.0.0.1119
How unfortunate that so many men had to go through such devistation. The aftermath is harsh and trying, I can't even begin to understand what they have been through and the mental anquish they suffer because of the war. One can only pray that the leaders find another way to solve their differences. Another great poem David.---Melvina---