Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Soldier for a Thousand Years

Should such a day come
where we "study war no more"
may we not forget

the Universal Soldier
who is "five foot two"
and "six feet four"

"all of thirty-one"
and "only seventeen"

and "a Catholic a Hindu
an atheist a Jain
a Buddhist and a Baptist
and a Jew"

or the Unknown Soldier
the Union soldier
the Confederate soldier

the soldiers
of all foreign wars

all ranks
all spouses and partners

those in families
who live to serve

and those who serve to live.

This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.