presumptively dead

[ellyssian]

presumptively dead
by Everett A Warren
June 10, 1992

under
lies history
around
stands present
before
walks future
together
the three
hand in hand

who am i
i am forgotten
as i lie here
a rotting carcass
a reminder of war

forget
me not
i have
not sinned
forget
me not
i was not me
i was a tool

life
so unreal
so green
the leaves
the sky not seen
so red
the blood
that i leave behind

a cage
that stays closed
a young boy
with a gun
and toothless grin
feeds me his scraps

my country
'tis of thee
sweet land of liberty
for thee i toiled
under your wings of war

my country
'tis of thee
sweet land of bitter reality
for thee hath turned
thy will from me

homeless
away from home
in jungle home
i roam the bamboo
one pace by pace
the circle made

man no longer
no relevancy
to those who walk upright
private first class child once
now too old
so crushed by years
neglect be my name

forget
me not
i was not me
i was a tool
forget
me not
i am
presumptively dead

1983:
they are still there, but we are not
they have been suffering
while the department of defense
says that they are dead

prisoners of the vietnamese
they lie there being tortured
thousands are missing in action
hundreds are prisoners of war

vietnamese refugees have seen
them marching in long lines
eyewitness accounts of our men
as late as nineteen eighty

yet still we fight in lebanon
we also liberated granada
we pay no heed to these soldiers
they've gone but don't return

they helped us fight the enemy
we leave them captured
we do not attempt to rescue them
they are presumptively dead

Copyright (c) 1992 Everett A Warren

Comments

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

COL Stuart M. Andrews, date of loss, 3-4-66, presumed dead, his co-pilot's remains found in 2006? ish, I still wear the bracelet for COL A. until I find where to send it back to DoD to do with as they please.

[patrixa.livejournal.com]

I still have this framed and displayed. You were 14 when you wrote it the 1983 section; I was so proud of you then --still am, -- for your poetry, your understanding, your love, and your loving soul. I'm so very glad you are my son.