Saturday 14 November 2015

Autumn Stroll


Sitting here in the evening glow,
parents with tired little ones in tow.


Watching geese gently on the peaceful water glide,
lovers strolling arm in arm matching each others' warming stride.


Feeling the chill of winter's breath,
tucking chin into the collar's depth.

The floating of  the golden leaves as they swim,
falling, tumbling, dancing to the wind's every whim. 
Thoughts of hot chocolate and the heat of a fire,
cozy, relaxing to the melodies of the guitar or lyre.

 






Friday 6 November 2015

 I WILL NOT FORGET






I will not forget the peer pressure, the orders, the force that tore you from your wife and your unborn child.

I will not forget the deafening blasts that left you abandoned in a sea of movement and gestures, unable to hear commands or warnings to save your life.
I will not forget your frustration in not being able to end the war with words rather than with arms.

I will not forget the internal unrest, the cognitive dissonance that comes with wanting to fight for freedom yet not wanting to kill.......to kill a treasured member of God's creation, someone's father, brother, son......

I will not forget the intense loneliness you endured in the cold, damp trenches, separated from all that is warm, lovely and familiar.

I will not forget the loss you suffered when your comrades met an abhorrent, premature death beside and in front of you.

I will not forget your sleepless nights, staring into the darkness asking WHY?

I will  not forget the trauma and helplessness that you suffered seeing your countrymen and team mates slaughtered beside you, crying out in agony for relief, for help, for another chance at life.

I will not forget the hunger that burned in your stomach which quickly faded to nothing when you smelled the sickening stench of burning flesh.

I will not forget the birthdays, anniversaries, and funerals that you missed.

I will not forget the paralyzing fear that made your boots 40lbs heavier, your mouth dry, your eyes vacant and your voice evaporate.

I will not forget your return to a flattened home,  feeling like you don't belong in this world that has collapsed.

I will not forget the shadow of self loathing for having killed a man in the prime of his life who was begging for mercy, wanting nothing more than to just......live.

I will not forget the grief of losing a limb that you wrestled with as you learned a new, laborious way of dressing yourself.

I will not forget your numbed, empty heart that left you feeling incapable of love.

I will not forget the frantic, suffocating and merciless death that is drowning at sea.

I will not forget your loss of freedom to gain freedom for others.
 
I will not forget your loss of independence that left you feeling like less of a man.

I will not forget the waste of life.

I will not forget  the fear of being caught with the 'wrong' uniform on.

I will not forget the fatigue of pushing physical limits just to survive, to see the sun rise again.

I will not forget your dreams and aspirations that were trampled by boots and tanks.

I will not forget your fever and the torment of hallucinations.

I will not forget your tears, the tears you would never have shown at home but now rush down your cheeks; tears of  heart-piercing grief and brokenness.

I will not forget the blast that left your beautiful face forever disfigured because of your selfless act to rescue a fellow man.

I will not forget the torment of recurring nightmares filled with  frighteningly destructive scenes, reliving each shot, each scream.

I will not forget the astounding sacrifice.

I will remember to do my part in keeping history from repeating itself.

I will remember  to say no to the evil that drives greed, pride, and all things that lead to war.

I will remember to say THANK YOU.

I will remember to say, "God keep our land, glorious and free."

I WILL REMEMBER