Soldiers, Murderers Or Heroes? Poem by James Lee Watts

“Salute the flag! …Serve your country! ” is all we hear,
But they don’t tell people about all the fear,
Wondering whether you’re going to live or die!
Getting up early hours still wanting to give it a try,
They don’t say the real horrid truth,
They don’t say they could snatch away your youth,

They don’t tell you about the sickness you feel as you see people dead,
They don’t care what you see, even if it messes up your head,
“We want you! ” but your just another face,
Killing another part of the controversial human race,
Tearing a family apart, Making them march to your every order!
Even placing them foolishly on the Iraqi border,
Shooting to kill, to take some-one out,
Killing them there and then, as if there’s nothing to fuss about,

Its just another number on sheet, a tally of death,
Shot dead before they could catch there breathe,
Just lying there with a pile of others,
Fathers, children, grandparents and mothers,
Who are just known as more people dead,
Shot right down; a bullet through the head,
Abusing the gift of life and the power of man,
What can stop this now? Surely something can?

“NO MORE WAR! ” people scream and shout,
Wanting peace without a doubt,
Taking life, griping it, holding on tight,
Fighting a cause that we all know is right,
Never ever giving up, showing true heart,
Because they and there loved one’s don’t want to part,
Does another death of a person really have to show,
The fate that is enviable? we already know,

The answer is no we just let them bleed,
Putting there face in the mud in there time of need,
Whether its right, whether is wrong,
Did anyone ever expect for this to go on this long?
What started it all, something that wasn’t proved to be there,
But it still didn’t stop them, they still didn’t care,
A monster that was evil was finally removed,
But where are the weapons, it still isn’t proved,

People are still dieing white or black,
But its to late now! We can’t turn back,
We’ve caused something that’s changed it all,
So we shoot another person and watch them fall…

January 2005