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Never ending (poem below)

During 2017 I lived in Sochi in Russia for 6 months and watched the "Victory Day" parade which commemorates the defeat of Hitler and the Nazis. There was no big show of military equipment as is typical of the parade in Moscow. It was mainly families marching to honor those relatives who served and died in the war. Watching the parade inspired the poem below.

 

With Putin acting much like Hitler in attacking the Ukraine, it is a shame that so many will die on both sides. There is no honor to be found for Russians in this horrible criminal act. It is shameful.

 

This month's issue of the Question Mark asks . . .

 

Oh, you Masters of War

Where have all the flowers gone?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.

questioning.org/Jun2024/mastersofwar.html

 

Hear me read this poem from 2017 on YouTube at youtu.be/I61Knre6ijE

 

Never ending

 

Each war begins

It seems

With celebration

Cheers

And fanfare

The promise of a quick victory

Death to the Hun!

The Nazi!

The zealot on the other side

An end to tyranny

An end to war altogether

The triumph of our side

Against their side

With God’s blessing

A chance for young men

And young women

To taste glory

Show courage

And win medals

 

But each war lies

Breaks promises

Maims

And lasts far too long

Each war takes the husbands

From wives

Wives from husbands

Mothers and fathers

From children

 

Each war takes away the young

Before their time

Kills dreams

Destroys hope

And plants new seeds

For wars to come

 

We cannot escape

It seems

As time and again

Destiny beckons

Parades begin

Flags fly proudly

And trumpets sound the call to arms

As sons and daughters heed the call

And once again

We go marching

Marching

Happily marching

Off to war

 

 

© Jamie McKenzie, all rights reserved

You will find more of my poems and songs here

and in The Storm in Its Passing and Flights of Fancy.

 

My songs are at

www.youtube.com/user/edtech2008/videos

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Uploaded on June 5, 2024
Taken on May 9, 2017