Poem by my friend re her son who will go to Iraq

[vickitulsa]

She is known as "Armymom" across the Internet and is a highly respected contemporary poet writing frequently about military issues as well as her take on the human condition. Though she has written what are loosely called "war tributes," she is NOT an apologist for war-mongers or military-mindedness. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Here is her latest offering.


~SORROW~

This new war seems to
just drag on and on
More mothers and fathers
losing their children ~
Children who were here one moment,
and then gone

There's a mother
marching near the President's ranch
marching, and mourning
the loss of her son
the loss of a family tree branch;

Something about that makes
me angry and sad
Don't we have to think her
son and ours are lost for a reason
Something has to make it
seem necessary;
now that we near the Autumn season.

Something about her
makes me feel a bit ashamed
Isn't she proud of him?
And all the others unnamed,
aren't we proud of them all,
as we move forward, again,
from Summer to Fall?

Then again, my son
hasn't left yet
although I'm fairly certain he will

The sounds of war and the
photographs and poems
give me no thrill

I think this new War
won't be ending anytime soon,
and I feel sorrow tonight
as I gaze at the moon...
the same moon that shines
down on Gettysburg, China,
Iraq and Saigon,
watching over soldiers
fighting on and on and on.......

Christina Sharik
8-18-05

Read more of her poetry here:
http://armymom.ozbard.com/

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