I recall a distant summertime
When all the land would congregate
And keep their spirits close to mine
To vanquish all I came to hate.
I swear when I peered out my door
There was but blue and spacious skies
And off they went to help the war;
Red, white and blue sparkles gleamed in their eyes.
The target—plain for all to see
Was one they strived to strike with haste.
It seemed achievable to me,
And time was difficult to waste.
Those who remained were true at heart
They toiled day and night
And with their anthem never part
Until victory was in sight.
After a while, the summer passed
And autumn came to be;
And all at once their motives changed
So very suddenly.
The battles I remembered fondly
Left my people with the sun
And bitterness swept every man
And iciness touched everyone.
They raced with competition new
And all was made for but one hour
Where the winners were but few
In that age of ruthless power.
The politicians’ new frontier
Was later labeled as a war
But I could see which way they walked
And how they tread near the black shore.
Now I’ll move onto the winter:
One that’s lasted far too long.
It’s stuck to me just like a splinter
And I don’t know when it’ll end.
I watched my youngest volunteer
To march away to certain death,
And yet the ones who remained near
Would riot like a thunderstorm.
Atrocities were televised
And seeped into our warm abodes
But still the war people despised,
Went on without a thought.
They shouted and they wailed
And I think they understood
That the battles which were hailed
Were smoke and mirrors all around.
Still the winter blazes on,
But now, in fog my people stay.
They blindly seek security
In places where it’s never found.
Their targets are intangible
Yet they trudge on in the dark,
Wandering like senseless fools,
Not knowing what the future brings.
I’ve distanced myself from the masses
For they cannot see what is so clear.
I only hope that someday soon
Will come the time again
When bells toll for a righteous war
And home will be what it once was.
A/N: Hi guys! My time here at Radford ends on Saturday :'( Booo-hoooo. I've written this poem for my War, Violence, Killing, and Terrorism class for my final project. I wrote it about how "Lady Liberty" has seen America change from a Patriotic, informed state (World War I & II) to shifting ideals (Cold War, Vietnam, "War on Terror". It starts off with a lot of rhyming to represent how much we were into the war effort during WWII but eventually the rhyme dies down along with the American people's involvement and education on the wars we've come to be involved in.