Tuesday, November 11, 2014

One thousand more – v2

One thousand more
of our best and brightest
our nation’s treasure,
all too young to die
in these foreign lands

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

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

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

Four years of war
fatigue our nation
battle weary, but not invested,
unceasing quagmire
no end in sight

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


edited November 11, 2014
One thousand more – v2

Veteran’s Day
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 33,480+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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