Thursday, June 7, 2012

Oldest Military Blogger Thinking of All Servicemen

.."Thinking of all the Soldiers"

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church, have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand"

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgement of his God.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell! "

Author Unknown.

It's the Military,
not the reporter who has given us the freedom
of the press.
It's the Military,
not the poet, who has given us
the freedom of speech.
It's the Military,
not the politician that ensures our right
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It's the Military,
who salutes the flag, who serve beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and
appreciation for the military, pray for our men and women
who have served and are currently
serving our country and pray for those
who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Veterans are often forgotten & maybe even "shunned" by society. These foregoing verses exemplify the dedication and service of all members of the military... both past and present.
God, in his omnipotent power and understanding recognizes this in the soldier before him! Why can we here on Earth in the presence of other humans, not pay equal tribute to Our Military?
Consider the Freedoms we are given as ensuing results...the Press, Speech, the Right to Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness.
To each member of the Armed Forces of Canada and United States, please accept my Gratitude for your
service to these respective countries. M

solfine said...

Thank you for those kind and heartfelt words of encouragement to give me a special reason to continue in my own way to perpetuate the Veterans legacy for their children's benefit.

Kanani said...

I loved both of these poems.
You are correct. So often everyone forgets as they are rushing to acquire material things, that were it not for a few brave men and women have made great sacrifices so they may pursue to acquisition of, and also enjoy them.

Pat Tillett said...

Great poems.
It kind of reminds of that little "speech" that Jack Nicholson gave to Tom Cruise about what it's really like...
darn, I can't remember the name of the movie...