May 2012
American soldiers
In black and white
But I saw red white and blue
They were sad
But they were brave
They loved their flag
But they loved each other more
They have a history
Of glory
And horror
We see the movies
We know of the destruction of tyranny
Today it seems our country is at war with itself
But for a moment in history
We came together
And defeated evil
We found the truth of Auschwitz
And we made the Germans bury the dead bodies
We made them walk down death row
Slowly in a solemn procession
So they could see what they had done
Their tears were frozen solid
From the cold of what they had ignored
The witness to this evil cannot accept an apology
He cannot forgive because he saw the devil’s eyes
And he knows there is no remorse
The dread of going back wakes him up at night
The only one who understands was killed in battle
Why did he not receive his own bullet of glory?
Mental illness gains no understanding for a veteran
Asking for help is not how a warrior wants to live
He wants the glory of battle and the strength of his victory
And yet he remains broken while we revel in our holiday
Can the ears of a man who walked in hells corridors hear you?
Can he ever smile again knowing the truth of freedoms cost?
And yet these old men are slowly dying
And our flag is not respected by all
The reasons for respect are being challenged
There is no emotional bond between fear and victory
Strangers do not kiss in the streets
The heroes are not welcomed home
And some question what we did
But not those buried in tombs of sacrifice
The do not have that luxury
For a man who sits passing judgment
Cannot know for whom he serves
Except the erosion of the national will
Yes it is good to love peace
And to let doves fly
But when it is time again
Whom will hear the bell
And whom will flee?
Maybe the soldier doesn't agree
He has seen it all
We assumed glory and honor was ours to keep
And asked our soldiers to fight again and again
Each time he lost his standing
Little by little
Because money became the God
And the soldier became the tool
People smile at the idea of his valor
But refuse to hear his tales of confusion
It is never easy to **** another man
No cause exists at the point of impact
But to honor a solider is to honor his memory
For when called upon he served
And now he calls upon you to listen
But is he being heard?
In black and white
But I saw red white and blue
They were sad
But they were brave
They loved their flag
But they loved each other more
They have a history
Of glory
And horror
We see the movies
We know of the destruction of tyranny
Today it seems our country is at war with itself
But for a moment in history
We came together
And defeated evil
We found the truth of Auschwitz
And we made the Germans bury the dead bodies
We made them walk down death row
Slowly in a solemn procession
So they could see what they had done
Their tears were frozen solid
From the cold of what they had ignored
The witness to this evil cannot accept an apology
He cannot forgive because he saw the devil’s eyes
And he knows there is no remorse
The dread of going back wakes him up at night
The only one who understands was killed in battle
Why did he not receive his own bullet of glory?
Mental illness gains no understanding for a veteran
Asking for help is not how a warrior wants to live
He wants the glory of battle and the strength of his victory
And yet he remains broken while we revel in our holiday
Can the ears of a man who walked in hells corridors hear you?
Can he ever smile again knowing the truth of freedoms cost?
And yet these old men are slowly dying
And our flag is not respected by all
The reasons for respect are being challenged
There is no emotional bond between fear and victory
Strangers do not kiss in the streets
The heroes are not welcomed home
And some question what we did
But not those buried in tombs of sacrifice
The do not have that luxury
For a man who sits passing judgment
Cannot know for whom he serves
Except the erosion of the national will
Yes it is good to love peace
And to let doves fly
But when it is time again
Whom will hear the bell
And whom will flee?
Maybe the soldier doesn't agree
He has seen it all
We assumed glory and honor was ours to keep
And asked our soldiers to fight again and again
Each time he lost his standing
Little by little
Because money became the God
And the soldier became the tool
People smile at the idea of his valor
But refuse to hear his tales of confusion
It is never easy to **** another man
No cause exists at the point of impact
But to honor a solider is to honor his memory
For when called upon he served
And now he calls upon you to listen
But is he being heard?
