In Name Of My Country

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A soldiers letters home. I try not to venture in poetry to much, I don't like sacrificing content for form, but I think I found a good middle ground here. Let me know what you think.

Dear dad dear mom

I'm here about a week

I have just unpacked

And I'll be here for a while

I only left the camp once

A day or two ago

There is not a whole lot build

And not a lot of peace

But the people here are grateful

For the fact that we are here

We are welcomed with open arms

In this desert land

Mom and dad I wont leave

until hospitals are build

And it feels good that I am here

In name of my country

Everything is slow here

All the work is going slow

But it's going steady

Sometimes there is peace

Now and then a fight

But how is it over there

Because I hear some rumors

That they dont support us

That they want to pull us out

First they send us here

Then they get regret

They want us to build

Give us the time

Mom and dad I wont leave

Until there's roads and light

And it is a fact that I am here

In name of my country

Dear mom sorry

Two weeks without a letter

I am busy lately

Busy with surviving

Shot at a couple times

And a few times hit

Dont worry I am fine

The sergeant lost this legs

On a roadside bomb

I think by the taliban

It's going to be a hard

But I'm sure it can be done

Mom and dad I wont leave

Until there's schools here

And everybody knows I'm here

In name of my country

Its three o'clock at night

I'm writing this in secret

Because all that we write

Is checked before its send

But I write you dad:

Everythings going wrong

Six people are dead

Twohundred people scared

We have been here nine months now

That is six months more than planned

No local here is is waiting

For our missionary work

This mess came from nowhere

And its not going soon

Mom and Dad I want to go home

I dont care how

I'm so tired now

In name of my country

Submitted: October 02, 2012

War and Military loss family military war peace mom dad afghanistan

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GilSH

That was really moving. I have never head much aid from a soldiers perspective before, just from the politicians that send them there. I am not going to try and even compare a recidivist scumbag like me with a soldier fighting for his country but I know how it feels to see friends shot and killed and you realise you've been there too long and want to get out, but your in too deep and there is nowhere to go.

I bet your parents were really touched by that poem. I wish you the best

Tue, October 2nd, 2012 4:40pm

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Thanks for the kind words! Unlike my novel story, this poem is partly fictional, my parents have never read such letters from me, but I tried to captivate the emotion I and many soldiers feel, and how radically your view can change over time.

Tue, October 2nd, 2012 9:57am