In Memory Of The Fallen

As of this writing, less than halfway through April, 36 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq this month, a number which already exceeds the total for all of last month. A total of 2,364 American soldiers have perished since the inception of this unnecessary and wasteful war. In memory of the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives, I offer the following untitled poem by the noted American poet and pacifist, William Stafford:

This is the field where the battle did not happen,
where the unknown soldier did not die.
This is the field where grass joined hands,
where no monument stands,
and the only heroic thing is the sky.

Birds fly here without any sound,
unfolding their wings across the open.
No people killed – or were killed – on this ground
hollowed by the neglect of an air so tame
that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.

One thought on “In Memory Of The Fallen”

  1. I just watched Lou Dobbs interviewing (ever so briefly) General Anthony Zinni, a decorated military veteran who argues that the US’s aggressive confidence in military actions is out of synch with the world and is making matters worse in many instances. Don’t know much more than that about Zinni, but it sounds like he has experienced a lot of US war in his life.

    Here is a link to his site:

    http://www.generalzinni.com/

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