!-- \/ starthtml --> A combat soldier's Vietnam War Poem, to a band of brothers, "Warrior Brothers." 1


















anidove
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knightswordspin Warrior Brothers knightswordspin
© 2000 by Gary Jacobson

There is a spirit that makes warrior's brothers
For together this band of neighbors
More tightly bound
By a special sense in combat found
Brothers by war infernal
Made fraternal
Looked into the eyes
Of the master of lies
Threatening tyranny on freedom’s sod
Challenged that bestial war God.

Brothers cast in war's dark shadow as one,
Forged civilization’s destiny with a gun
Felt a hellhounds fetid breath
Under war's wheels forevermore wielding death
Carried freedom's torch in youth’s unripe hands
Far and away to impassioned foreign lands
Swords drawn in hatred from battle's sheath
Around them swirling hostility's unholy wreath
Struggling mightily in inharmonious crescendo
Blasted by vengeful heat’s ingenuous inferno

These brothers in arms faced the barbaric demon
All for one bore valor uncommonly in war common
Contending with liberty’s foes
Hellfire scorching blackening souls
Combat brothers knelt before morality's alter
In prosecuting hallowed duty dared not falter
Body and spirit mortally wounded
As a battle of clashing souls immorally exploded

Embattled “Boys next door” prayed together
Cursed war’s whorehounds together
Held there by war’s darkning tether
Ever seeking the inner courage
Forever facing in grim revenge
Humanities great carnage
Finally at long last, from traumatic past
Finally understanding mankind’s major need
The love, peace and brotherhood creed
In fervid nightmares their credo does bleed

Brothers fought side-by-side together
Soldiers long ago slowly dying together
Crossing swords with our nation’s vile oppressor
A nation’s youth aching in a feud of blood
Unsullied honor in fiendishly bloodthirsty mud
Putting heart and soul on the line
Time after time after time
In horrible rhyme

Tho war demons emptied mankind's very core spilled
All innocence long ago killed
Displaying heroic bravery
Paid homage justly, defending hallowed liberty,
Brotherly bonds of patriotic justice thrilled
In fear and guilt filled
Answered their country’s call with fidelity's fealty
This band of brothers with child-like duty
Nurtured ties of a special kind
That to the eternities bind.

Brothers united solemnly still stand
Venerable veterans in brotherhood's band
Against all others in their hearts still bear
A knowledge none can fully know that were not there
For war was a blistering of the eternal soul
Rose colored glasses of youth destroyed, you know
Some brothers still after that vengeful beasts dice roll
Still cannot put back together fragmented man whole
Lost defending a country more than life they love
Reaping special reward in Celestial courtyards above.

animatedflame
bonfire Courage bonfire

© 2000 by Gary Jacobson

Courage found in boys hearts sent to war
To quell the voice of freedom’s oppressor
Must abide strengths born deep within
Soldiers must embody morality in a shadowed season
Conquer any task before bold hearts arisen
Caught up to molder in war’s hateful prison.

Guard jealously moral right in times rancorous
Amid battles powerful confusions burning contentious.
Truly conquer the evil seeds
That within and without the very soul bleeds
Forever falling to embroiled wrong cantankerous
In hatreds contagious.

When all about you have lost their capacity to love,
Forsaking greater commandments sung from above.
With every fiber in you
Do not honorable courage eschew
Hold fast to loving during war’s great sin,
Balance honorable gentility in cacophonous din.

When all about you have lost their gentleness,
Vanished in obsidian jungles of darkness.
Fight for the right, with vigorous might
Stay the course at any length, in moral strength
Remembering love in courage bears great asset
For yourself, brothers, family, your country's debt.

Courage abides in the heart of one longing to live
Yet for inherent values ready their life to give
Valiantly holding true to honors within
In your haste at all cost to win
For apt courage is not by the macho driven
Defending honored precepts of humanity riven.

Sustain a peaceful heart when killings run rife
Maintain a truthful soul to dispel strife...
To continue after war the good life
The measure of a man, his courage unbroken
Unscathed from the evil war beast awoken
Hold fast to sweet words of love in youth spoken.

True Power submits to precepts more right
In the midst of Armageddon's carnal fight.
Forgoing evil thought held in evil’s sight
With verity, the bigger picture seeing,
Worth of souls beyond veiled curtains knowing
Controlled fidelity in being abiding integrity.

When your country puts a rifle in your arms today
Pats you on the head, and sends you to Nam to play
With boys about you in innocence ashen
Submit to evil in wars bestial burden.
Doubtful misgivings of virtuous birthright display
When others assured of right against you array.

Courage resides not in the dearth of fear
Yet abides ever in the heart mastering fear
Find chosen way to the longer race win
Coupled not with the wages of sin
In all you do, stand steadfast with honorable men
To foul justice amend, right principles defend.

For true honor to victoriously stand
Reign in righteousness against governments band.
Prevail ever in voice loud and clear,
All mankind voice a just message hear.

True courage contains compassion in empathy
Truly embracing sympathy
Truly feeling another’s pain
Heightened by tormented thought in vain
Yet not be twisted by it
Forever thinking of it
Forever guided by it.

To win life’s most difficult game
To bare that soul battle did maim
Endure war’s horrible abuse
Greet that greedy monster blunt and obtuse
From eternal truths do not falter
For war’s wrongs inalienably alter.

Build ruggedly a warriors fortitude
On firm foundations taught in faith exude
Withstand assailing rigors alone
Cankered battle’s robust killing zone
Return home with the greater morality intact
Save humanity from war’s horrors abstract.

animatedflame
Bravery

© 2001 by Gary Jacobson

Bravery is the outer manifestation of inner being
Mankind willing to act on intrinsic believing
No matter in obsidian darkness or shadowed crevasse
Moral traits do unaltered beauty possess
Rudimentary law principly organic in soul’s array
Thus speaking in fire and spirit take the brave day!

Bravery is inner virtue established in outer ethics
Basic character principled to the flame wicks
displaying in being inescapable standards
Ruggedly in a warrior’s absolute fortitudes
In inexorable hearts faith exudes
From a firm cornerstone of eternal attitudes.

Bravery stands against assailing winds, unafraid
Sacred stillness wilting not before evil’s tirade
Humanities free will in justice will wrong abrade
Deriving strength from rigors faced alone
Forever hallowed bravery for fault to atone
In shining right proud and tall as a stone!

True bravery does not immorality condone
Cowing not in cankered battle’s killing zone
Oozing bleeding courage to the bone
Standing valiant to ending sight
Bravery stands stalwart to the cause of right
In word and deed fighting the good fight.

Bravery cannot be by the carnal mocked
Nor by a cantankerous world shocked
Basic formulas of life persevere in heart's locked
Within, and without, greater morality lies intact
Outward succoring action a divine contract
To save humanity from bestial horrors abstract.

Bravery hears a patriots call
Committed to right wrong’s downfall
Bravery's answer in requisite righteousness all
By youths puerile spirit in freedom’s predicated
In permanence unalterable precepts dedicated
In life celebrated, in deed validated,
In glorious heaven consecrated!

Bravery, essence of the saintly heart lovingly built
Fabric of a soul’s marrow woven into life’s quilt
An eternal rock born of principles played to the hilt
Living for values irrevocably true
On consecrated foundations honored sanctity imbue
Bravery abiding spiritual ideals roots old yet new.


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