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writing-art/poetry
Date posted: 05-02-2

Editor's Note: In this piece, Thomas speaks on the behalf of what it must be like as a solider caught in the midst of a hectic war scene. He is conveying the stress, the trauma, and his creativity. There was a debate over whether or not this poem should make it onto the site, but in the end, we decided to leave the choice to our viewers. Read, reflect, and respond to HarlemLive@aol.com with comments once you're done.

Unmarked Graves

by Thomas Slater

 


I'm at the front lines with the enemy at my face,
with my back-up behind me and air strikes bombing the place,
bullets grazing my ear letting me know death is near,
a man dies right next to me but I show no fear,
pain in my arm, lead pierced through cotton and flesh,
taking cover for a while to reload and catch my breath,

get back up and shoot off heads at anything that moves,
arm still hurting, I looked and more blood started to ooze,
call for a medic, I cant fight back if I'm dead,
the front line cleared room for the rest, now the backup will just go on ahead,
she pulling the bullet out my arm, so MUCH PAIN I HAD TO SCREAM,
she washed my arm off and kept the wound clean,
I rested for a while then got up and advanced,

made sure I had extra clips, guns, and tight grenades on my pants,
caught up with the pack, faces like they knew they would win,
but more dropped out of a plane, its like the war started again,
get on the radio and call for operation Surge Pulse to retreat,
but the transmission was cut of by a bomb and its intensive heat,
I look in the sky and bodies are just soaring by,

one guy looked me in the face and said its either do or die,
one guy asked should we retreat, but I told him to stand by,
I knew this was the end, no escape from fate and its wrath,
so I told the men I'll see them in hell but I'm going out with class,
we all got up and shot every creep we saw,
one shot a guy and tore off his jaw,

we kept firing non-stop then the other man next to me dropped,
All I heard was pop pop pop then my body just flopped,
pulled out the eagle and shot as much as I could, and watched the bullets sank,
then those bastards came up behind me and shot me pointblank.

President: We went to the place of war and found thousands of bodies laid all over the place buried. All were Identified except one. He was missing his Dog Tag and all his badges and ranks. He is now called Soldier with an Unmarked Grave, We are sadden by the turn of events but we will prevail, we will move on, we shall overcome.

 

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