Young Widow

A young widow sleeps
with her soldier's ghost.

With vows to keep,
she is engrossed

in her own sorrow

and morbid disbelief

No tomorrow.

No relief.

Bagpipes play

and rifles shoot:

in the ground he'll lay

and soon take root.

Folded flags,

solemn speeches,

old dog tags,

a preacher preaches

that with God

our solider rests.

"It's just a fraud,"

the widow attests.

"God and war:

it's all a lie.

The oaths, he swore

caused him to die.

For his nation,

he bled out.

Manipulation

is what you spout.

For your hypocrisy,

he lays cold.

Not democracy.

Black gold."

With a shudder,

she descends.

Her fallen lover

met his end.

Assured and defiant,

she will not hide

or stay quiet.

Too many died.

She has no fear.

She knows the coward.

Her path now clear.

Her voice empowered.

************************************************

"And if your God makes war then he's no God I know 'cause Christ would not send boys to die." AA Bondy American Hearts

"'Cause there are three wars going on and all the flags are still waving. Daniel's 20-year-old friends are now 30 and willing and serving. He's a Marine and he showed me." - Kevin Devine Ballgame

“I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defense and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest.” Siegfried Sasson (WWI soldier and poet) from his 'Statement' 

"What a senseless, absurd cycle of violence this was." Mazier Bahari Then They Came for Me