Souls of honor

As the medals of honors
Were being hung on my chest
I began to shed tears of shame
For it were not ribbons being hung on my shoulders
But the souls of men I had killed in battle

The crowd thought they were tears of joy
As some began to cry with me
They could not read my the contents of my mind
To them I was a war hero worthy of medals
I had killed in order to protect them
In a far away land
Others were mourning at the various graves
For such they hung the medals of death
While confined to the recess of the earth

I looked at my loved ones
It could have been them
Had we lost the battle
I killed in order to protect my own
I justified the end by the means
Looking up into the skies brought no answers

Nations will go into battle
Due to the foolishness of immature leaders
Who had never learnt the art
Of constructive dialogue

I wondered if those
Applauding before me were enough
Justification to wipe away the guilt
Hanging from my shoulders
As more tears began to drop
These were questions that would haunt me
For the rest of my life

As my baby was handed over to me
Smiling at the cameras Ignorant of my tears
I wonder if he would have to kill
In order to protect me when I am old
I would have traded the whole world
For the opportunity of holding my baby

@copyright

I love this poem for being simple. When things that we want to say are important to us, we needn't mask them in poetic exuberance and language.
Beautiful prose poetry on a tacky sensitive subject, that can be argued for eternity. It's wonderful that the poet presents his argument in a subjective yet objective view. Perhaps, it is too safe a view.
Excellent poem nonetheless.

nicholausian:
I love this poem for being simple. When things that we want to say are important to us, we needn't mask them in poetic exuberance and language.
Beautiful prose poetry on a tacky sensitive subject, that can be argued for eternity. It's wonderful that the poet presents his argument in a subjective yet objective view. Perhaps, it is too safe a view.
Excellent poem nonetheless.

u dey make my head they swell...thanks for the review. I tend to write my poems in simple language and it has its pros and cons. Thanks again