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Youassevay
YOUASSEVAY
We were good boys and girls.
Standing in reverent attention,
we took that pledge hands on hearts.
So full of Pride, so Chosen,
so good to be an
American in 1963.
The sound of our voices in unison
brought tears to my eyes.
Knew I belonged for a moment,
one for all, all for one.
Always for a greater good.
AMERICA.
Our training started early.
Lined up as Scouts in our little
uniforms, unaware scout also meant
to go first and draw fire.
Taught us words like Honor.
Respect. Obedience. Duty.
Service.
We tried to pretend we were all decent,
keeping the secrets
and learning to smile behind the lies.
I heard that all the big brothers on the block were
being "called to duty".
In my ignorance I envied them their escape.
Soon enough 'over there' came home.
I couldn't grasp what I saw on the television
while we ate our TV dinners.
How could heroes, handsome big Brothers
Sons
and Dads do such terrible things?
Even though I secretly knew what they could do.
With new eyes I stopped feeling proud
to be An American.
So many betrayals and puppets.
Now we were some of those
Same good boys and girls fighting for peace-
for some sanity;
run down, gunned down. Put down.
With a need to survive the abominations,
we learned to be subversive,
hide in plain sight.
Laugh instead of cry.
We wanted the personal freedoms they told us we deserved.
So a Generation grew up, averted their eyes from
the roadkill of the day
and played along with the same games we had protested.
Fell right in step.
Learned to turn up the music and turn down the news.
Smoke a bowl, close our eyes and make a wish
On our falling stars.
We were too weak to watch the death of our improbable dreams.
Too beat to keep fighting.
The burden of our disillusionment is a heavy load.
Corporate Americans run the show we never wanted to see.
Heroes are defined as actors and athletes.
Empathy a flaw.
I have yet to find the words to apologize for our
Apathy
nor tell the new bosses how to avoid it.
Lauri Langston
Comment
Thank you for your kindness. I am going to read some of your work!
well put
this a a good poem. to the point of things. the world we live in is cruel sometimes but if you look hard enough there is some good. hold onto that and the world wont seem so cruel. i enjoyed reading this poem. i hope you can get a chance to read mine and comment please. thank you
Watching Vets
in a tv series I had a thought: response preparedness. It works better as a reason than global police or revenge for 911 or (tee hee hee) weapons of mass destruction. The cost is high, boys become men, then age fast. Some do not survive, some survive to kill theneselves. Broken is an interesting and lasting conditiion - The VA should be run by Psychiatrists and Nurses. That's what I was thinking.
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Youassevay
Lady A,
I agree with you about preparedness and who should be in charge of the VA. My stance is conflicted; I have been married to a Vietnam Veteran for 37 years and have two daughters in the Army. One of which is currently stationed somewhere in Afghanistan.
I am also a longtime Unitarian Universalist and pacifist. It breaks my heart that my girls joined the military to get the education I could not afford to buy for them.
Thank you for reading my poem and for your thoughts.
Lauri