I Saw . . . I Heard . . . The Armies

I saw far off the armies
And through the smoke the battle flags
Along the road strew in the dust
Were friend and foe now side by side
Battle-corpses, skeletons of men
In cold unfolding arms of death


I heard far off the armies
Above the sound of the big guns
The battle cries of those who fought
The victory cry of those who won
Deep in my heart I heard the echo
The cry of those who died and lost


I saw askance the armies
The noisy fire spitting tanks
Unfeeling, cold monsters of steel
Singing a death song with their wheels
Destroying all left in their path
Without a thought to what they passed


I heard close by the armies
The last low cry of a wounded man
When a bullet hit his valiant heart
A goodby cry a last farewell
A name, a love, a far away land
Too far, for his outstretched hand


I saw, I heard, I lived
Through living hell, a man-made hell
Who won? Who lost? Did anyone?
The world today is still at war
The armies are still marching on
For what, for who I ask you all
Fought and died those valiant men
Or don’t you care at all?

Poem from:  "Lines Like Flowers" Volume 2
Copyright © by  E. d M. and Roland U. Belanger
 February 8, 1980.

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