Monday, May 26, 2014

One thousand more

One thousand more
of our best and brightest
our nation’s treasure,
too young to die

But die they did
spent in the streets,
in the dust, the blood,
of that ancient land

Tigris and Euphrates,
cradles of civilization
blood running down your streets
to the sea beyond

Land of the fighting factions
war lords, tribal feuds
ancient schisms, rivals,
we stand in the middle still

Four years of war
fatigues the nation
unceasing quagmire
no end in sight

Our treasure still in the field
in the desert, on station,
in the whirling sands
twisting in the wind


edited May 26, 2014
“One thousand more”
Memorial Day
edited May 25, 2014
Millenial – v2
Memorial Day, May 28, 2007 13:42
Millenial
In the period from Memorial Day 2006 to Memorial Day 2007,
982 soldiers and Marines died in Iraq (per AP reports).
At least 3,452 members of the U.S. military have died
since the beginning of the war in Iraq in March 2003 (per AP reports).
At least 325 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion
of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 29,930+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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