He was
getting old and paunchy |
The politician's
stipend |
And his hair was
falling fast |
And the style in which he lives, |
And
he sat around the Legion, |
Are often disproportionate, |
Telling stories of
the past. |
To the service that he gives. |
|
Of
a war that he once fought in |
While the ordinary Soldier, |
And
the deeds that he had done, |
Who offered up his all, |
In
his exploits with his buddies; |
Is paid off with a medal |
They
were heroes, every one. |
And perhaps a pension, small. |
|
And
'tho sometimes to his neighbors |
It's so easy to forget them, |
His
tales became a joke, |
For it is so many times |
All
his buddies listened quietly |
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys, |
For
they knew where of he spoke. |
Went to battle, but we know, |
|
But
we'll hear his tales no longer, |
It is not the politicians |
For
ol' Bob has passed away, |
With their compromise and ploys, |
And
the world's a little poorer |
Who won for us the freedom |
For
a Soldier died today. |
That our country now enjoys. |
|
He
won't be mourned by many, |
Should you find yourself in danger, |
Just
his children and his wife. |
With your enemies at hand, |
For
he lived an ordinary, |
Would you really want some cop-out, |
Very
quiet sort of life. |
With his ever waffling stand? |
|
He
held a job and raised a family, |
Or would you want a Soldier-- |
Going
quietly on his way; |
His home, his country, his kin, |
And
the world won't note his passing, |
Just a common Soldier, |
'Tho
a Soldier died today. |
Who would fight until the end. |
|
When
politicians leave this earth, |
He was just a common Soldier, |
Their
bodies lie in state, |
And his ranks are growing thin, |
While
thousands note their passing, |
But his presence should remind
us |
And
proclaim that they were great. |
We may need his like again. |
|
Papers
tell of their life stories |
For when countries are in conflict, |
From
the time that they were young |
We find the Soldier's part |
But
the passing of a Soldier |
Is to clean up all the troubles |
Goes
unnoticed, and unsung. |
That the politicians start. |
|
Is
the greatest contribution |
If we cannot do him honor |
To
the welfare of our land, |
While he's here to hear the praise, |
Some
jerk who breaks his promise |
Then at least let's give him
homage |
And
cons his fellow man? |
At the ending of his days. |
|
Or the ordinary fellow |
Perhaps just a simply headline |
Who
in times of war and strife, |
In the paper that might say: |
Goes
off to serve his country |
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, |
And
offers up his life? |
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY. |
|
|
