Off To War

Steve Dunne

Looking in those courageous eyes
They've seen so many places
Shaking your hand and wishing you luck
Praying for your family's sake
It's not the last time

Watching you reach for your wife's grasp
She's sad, proud, scared
A home she's made with you
Will you come back to finish this life?
So many words unsaid
Yet all that comes to mind is 'I love you'

Your children, three young children
Climbing, clawing on your legs
Crying, screaming, at your feet
Trying to make you stay
At home this would work
You'd wipe their tears
Yet today you turn and walk away
They don't understand

Marching toward your destination
You leave behind many people
Who will make sacrifices
To overcompensate for your absence
To try and fill the shoes you leave behind
For your wife and children
This battle is now not just your own

So as you strap on those boots
And march toward your own sacrifice
Leave this life behind
It will be here waiting for you

Godspeed

Linda

steve, i have to say, i am impressed.....

chadwick

Yes Linda this is a damn fine piece of writing.
Thank you for sharing this with everyone.

Steve Dunne

thanks chad and linda.

deadnote

if i could be free i wouldve attempted to kiss your hand at least twice

eulusso

the soldier came and
he looked straight forward with his
blind faith, blinded eyes

Eulusso

Steve Dunne

Well it's been one month down
five more remain
adjusting over the holidays
has been a bit of a strain

Your children pretend to be strong
yet I've wiped their tears
'I miss my daddy'
Trying to quell their fears

They see your picture
They hear your voice
One month down
It's still not their choice

So do your job well
It's the only way
It's your turn to stand watch
And keep their fears at bay

chadwick

Steve Dunne wrote:

Well it's been one month down
five more remain
adjusting over the holidays
has been a bit of a strain

Your children pretend to be strong
yet I've wiped their tears
'I miss my daddy'
Trying to quell their fears

They see your picture
They hear your voice
One month down
It's still not their choice

So do your job well
It's the only way
It's your turn to stand watch
And keep their fears at bay

um, (pause)
that's deeply moving.
sad..

#X.

Your writing's are haunted and sad.
It would be nice, if you could get this poem out
there (where more people can read it). It's a way to broaden each other's perspective.
#X.

cat72

steve.....that was just incredible.

deadnote

inspiring to someone inside of me
probably im singular for now

Steve Dunne

hello my brave old friend
again, hoping you are well
heard your voice yesterday
until the time was cut short
damn military phones

your dad and i stopped into a bar
and took with us your little boy
we ordered drinks in your honor
passing the time, putting in time
making the best of it, the most of it

your wife she is holding it together
with exercise, pills, and hope
her joy is in her children's eyes
her love is beyond her reach
yet her face is showing the cracks

your children still cry at night
they still don't understand
yet now they lie with your wife
she's used to wiping their tears
they huddle together for one
they cuddle together as one
trying with all their might
to get to that halfway point

Buru

Quite haunting.
Puts you in a place where you can really imagine the ordeal of waiting, of those left behind.

Steve Dunne

Hello again old salt
Trusting you are well
Although I know you are not
Passing the time with duty and boredom
How can the two be related?

We're getting to that place
Of anticipation and the pangs of waiting
Are just around the corner
We're over the hump now
But there is still a ways to go

That family of your survives in your absence
The vacuum, the void, always there
Surreal for so long
It's almost like not living
When you return, they awaken, but for how long?

There's not much more to be said now
Those children still cling to anything
Anything resembling the attention you give them
The love you give them

You love your country but are away from it
You love your family but are away from it
There are others that can fill your shoes in both capacities
Yet you choose to remain on duty
Is this service and bravery selfish?
It may never be answered
The conflict inside eats us all

Hang in there

Linda

steve, what can i say?

chadwick

eyes.

chadwick

you made me cry...

Steve Dunne

thanks linda and chad. this is all too real. especially today.

cheers...onward and forward...:)

chadwick

Steve Dunne wrote:

thanks linda and chad. this is all too real. especially today.

cheers...onward and forward...:)

you made me cry fucker..
in my best witchy girl voice "i'll get you my pretty".

dude, your life is not a poem so how do i say this?
this living-breathing-crying-bleeding-loving-poemlife you live-wrote
is amazing.
poem isn't even the correct word to be used here as it is not strong enough
to support what i am trying to say to you.

depopulationINC

wow

Steve Dunne

Hello there again...

Haven't heard from you in a while
Yet I hear you are struggling
With the scenery around you
'Why do you have to stand post'
'At this post'
'There's nothing there!'
Those are your questions
And day after day the view's the same

Depressed, conflicted, tired, and worn
Such is this life's chapter
Set out to keep the world safe
For the kids, for yourself
Yet a shell of a man remains
And from here on out
The days will only get longer

It would take a war, sad to say
To make the time go by quicker
A war with objectives
With measured battles and gains
Something other than this daily grind

That said, there is a light ahead
And in looking into this light
There's much more than illumination
There is a tightening of the chest
A shortness of breath
An anxiety that stretches the days into weeks
The hours into days, the seconds into eternity
It is off in the distance
And to whisper it's name
Will inflict further pain upon yourself

Your family, yes your family
They have still the schedules, events, dinner, laundry
Those chapters you miss so much
Yet your wife's chest has begun to tighten
Her eyes are starting to open
Her soul is awakening
From a long, cold slumber
She can't wait to be human again

Your kids 'clock-watch' the calendar
They have made such strides
They are kids
Kids are resilient
Five months you've missed so far
They have been ready to hug you for so long now
For too long now
You owe them so much
What do they owe you?

A new, measured war within is underway
Time is now the enemy
This is when the agony sets in
With a whisper, the chest tightens
Let the countdown begin...