My first poem
Well, you can thank or blame Charlie for this. In the summer of 2021, in the DFWWW, Charlie was reading a lot of her great poems. I've never written a poem in my life (maybe one in grade school), but I guess the troops leaving Afghanistan effected me more than I would admit and I ended up writing the following:
To The Fallen
We cheered you.
We celebrated you.
We made you our hero’s.
And deployed you with our love.
We waved the flag.
We demanded a response.
You answered the call.
Becoming our sword of vengeance.
We championed your victory.
We declared mission accomplished.
You continued the fight.
Becoming a pawn to our ambition.
We extended your mission.
We expanded your scope.
You tried to win hearts and minds.
Becoming the occupier despised.
We exported democracy.
But imported corruption.
You defended our principles.
Becoming the symbol of our arrogance.
We lost interest.
Ever obsessed with ourselves.
Leaving you the unwinnable war.
Doomed between our desires and distractions.
We mourned you.
We draped your casket.
You gave the last full measure of devotion.
Becoming forever memorialized in our hearts.
We thanked you for your service.
But had we served you better,
Your memory would never plead,
We pledge fervently: never again – again.
Yes.