| CRIES OF THE BATTLE GHOSTLY CRIES OF THE BATTLE ARE YET TO BE HEARD BY ONE SO STRONG WHO LIVED THE PAIN BUT NEVER A SPOKEN WORD A BOY MARCHING INTO WAR WITH A BRAVADO AMIDST HIS BROW A MAN IS WHAT YOU BECAME THAT DAY YET SILENTLY I WONDER HOW WITH BLOOD AND TEARS STREAMING DOWN YOUR FACE LOOKING AT YOUR FALLEN MEN WHY YOU SCREAMED THIS IS NOT GOD'S WILL BE DONE THOSE LIFELESS BODIES ARE MY FRIENDS YOU HAVE KEPT YOUR HELL WITHIIN YOUR SOUL YOUR NIGHTS YOU SCREAM IN PAIN RELIVING ALL THOSE GHASTLY TIMES OF YOUR BROTHERS WHO DIED IN VEIN YOUR HEART NOW BEATS ITS EMPTY THUMP THE DULL SOUND FILLS YOUR EARS THOSE LIFELESS EYES STILL FILL YOUR DREAMS WITH NO ONE TO DRY YOUR TEARS AMERICAN THE BEAUTIFUL YOU YELLED OUT WITH MOANING SIGHS OH BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES DANCED IN THEIR FALLEN EYES |
| ARLINGTON ON THE GROUNDS OF ARLINGTON ONE STANDS IN SOLDIERS FORM LOOKING AT THE FORMATION OF THE CROSSES THAT WHERE BORN A DEADENING SILENCE NOW SPEAKS YET I SEEM TO HEAR A BUGLE PLAYING CLEAR THE GHOSTLY HYMN OF TAPS AS IT SINGS A GOODBYE SONG TO ALL THOSE SLEEPING NEAR AS THE BUGLE MOURNS IN HYMN FOR ALL OUR FALLEN MEN I LOOK AROUND AT CROSSES OF WHITE THAT NEVER SEEM TO END ALONE GUARDED BY OUR BROTHER NOT FAR FROM WHERE I STAND THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER SLEEPS HIS LIFE GIVEN FOR HIS LAND OUR FALLEN FRIEND IS KNOWN ONLY TO GOD HIS NAME NEVER TO BE KNOWN BUT NOW HE STANDS IN SOLDIERS FORM GUARDING OUR MAJESTIES THRONE THE BUGLE PLAYS ITS SHIVERING SOUND AND OUR FLAG STILL WAVES UNTORN THE SUN MIRRORS AN OVERWHELMING SIGHT OF CROSSES THAT WHERE BORN ON THE GROUNDS OF ARLINGTON I STAND IN SOLDIERS FORM LOOKING AT THE FORMATIONS OF CROSSES THAT WHERE BORN SILENTLY I BOW MY HEAD AND THINK OF MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS WHO FOUGHT SO THAT I MAY STAND HERE IN FREEDOM LIKE NO OTHER AS I WALK AWAY TEARS FALL FROM MY EYES AND I SEEM TO HEAR A GHOSTLY CRY REMEMBER ALL WHO FOUGHT FOR YOU NOT THOSE OF US WHO DIED |
| THE WALL UNDERNEATH FREEDOMS SKY I STAND ERECT BEFORE ALL EYES MY PRESENCE SEES AND AWAKENING LOOK FOR ALL THE LIVES VIETNAM TOOK I HOLD MYSELF HONORABLY AND WITH PRIDE AS I PAY HOMAGE TO ALL WHO HAVE DIED ENGRAVED DEEPLY IN MY HEART ARE ALL THOSE LIVES INNOCENTLY TORN APART MY EYES ARE AS DARK AS THE CLOAK I WEAR AND I TRY TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO JUST DID NOT CARE MY BODY WAS ERECTED FROM BLOOD AND SWEAT AND I CAN ONLY DETEST THOSE WHO HAVE YET NOT WEPT MY EARS SEEM TO HEAR EVERY MOAN EVEN WHEN I STAND HERE ALL ALONE I CAN HEAR THE ANGUISH OF EVER FRIEND WHO HELD THEIR COMRADES UNTIL THE END EVERY TIME A NEW NAME IS PUT IN PLACE TEARS OF BLOOD STREAM DOWN MY FACE EACH TIME I HEAR THAT PITIFUL WAIL I REACH TO COMFORT FOR WE DID NOT FAIL UNDERNEATH FREEDOMS SKY I STAND ERECT WITH CRYING EYES I WEEP NOW FOR I WEAR ON MY FACE THE SCARS OF WAR CAUSED BY THE HUMAN RACE EACH TIME YOUR FINGERS GENTLY TOUCH MY CHEEK MY FALLEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS BEGIN TO WEEP EACH TIME YOU LEAVE ME MY EYES TURN BLACK AND MY FALLEN FRIENDS BECKON YOU TO COME BACK I ONLY STAND A MERE TEN FEET TALL BUT IMPRINTED ARE OVER FIFTY-EIGHT THOUSAND ON MY SHAWL MY PRESENCE SEEDS AND AWAKENING LOOK FOR ALL THE LIVES VIETNAM TOOK NOW IT'S TIME FOR US TO THANK ALL SOLDIERS OF COLOR AND DIFFERENT RANK TOO MANY YEARS HAVE GONE BY FAST TO THANK OUR SOLDIERS WHO HAVE COME HOME AT LAST UNDERNEATH FREEDOMS SKY LIE OVER FIFTY-EIGHT THOUSAND BROTHERS UNDERNEATH FREEDSOMS SKY I SHIELD THEM LIKE NO OTHER |
| THE ALARM CALLS AS I LOOK ACROSS THE ROOM I SEE THE FACE OF A PROUD MAN FACE WEATHERED BY TIME AND LIFES EXPERIENCE I ASK HIM SOFTLY TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS PASSION TO RUN WHEN THE ALARMS CALLS I CAN SEE THE BURNING IN HIS EYES LIKE THE FLAMES HE FOUGHT HIS HANDS NOW EXPRESS SCARS SCALDED BY STEAM FROM THE FIGHT BODY NOW SOMEWHAT BATTERED BY TIME HE IGNORES THE PAIN HIS STORY TO BE TOLD THE ALARM CALLED HIM TO PRESERVE THE ADRENALINE PUMPED HIS DETERMINED SPIRIT AS HE RAN TO WHERE THE FLAMES BECKONED HIM HIS NEED TO SAVE WAS INBORN THE SILENT HERO DOES NOT WANT TO BE RECONGNIZED YET HE SPEAKS AS THOUGH IN THE DAY THE INTENSITY GROWS AS HE RECALLS WHY HE CHOOSE THIS VOCATION DEDICATED AND LOYAL TO THE ALARM HE RISKED HIS LIFE TO SAVE OTHERS YET HE MAKES SIMPLICITY OUT OF HIS HONOR BECAUSE THE ALARM CALLED ON MY WALL HANGS A FIREFIGHTERS HAT STILL SMELLING OF THE LAST FIRE HE FOUGHT BLISTERS NOW SHOW EXTREME HEAT MY SIMPLE MEMORIAL TO HIM REMAINS UNMOVED. |
| These poems were written by Nancy L. Byrnes-Milliken. A special thanks to all who have fought to keep my country free. . Also to my husband, Mike and my Grandpa Kippenberger, who .....RAN WHEN THE ALARM CALLED. Any emails can be sent to NLBYRNES@hotmail.com. If you wish to use any of these poems, I would be honored provided you give the credit to myself, the author and not honor these poems as your own. |
| Updated September 1, 2004 |