Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Lest We Forget

In honor of Veterans' Day, courtesy of The Guardian UK

Suicide in the Trenches
by Siegfried Sassoon

I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

2 comments:

Jacqueline T. Lynch said...

Thanks for a most eloquent and timely reminder.

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

My God that is powerful. Suicide rates are skyhigh for Iraq veterans. As it was, so it shall be.

Kim