A SOLDIER’S LETTER TO HIS MOM

A SOLDIER’S LETTER TO HIS MOM


Mom, d’you want to know how I
Feel in desert, far from you,
Half the world away from home,
From snowfall and ocean blue?

Mom, as I write this I have
Not for you, or dad, a thought;
Nor for Jane, who all the time,
Cried on my shoulder, distraught.

Mom, my thoughts are so confused.
I truly came here to fight
Those who threatened the US
And its pure majestic might.

Mom, as I packed up my bag,
As you came out to kiss me,
I thought I’m going to save
U.S. from the enemy.

Mom, not on the enemy,
On civilians I did fire.
In the process, I became
Object of their hate and ire.

Mom, I am ashamed to say,
Your son is not all that brave.
Firing on women, children,
Was not the thing he did crave.

Mom, I want so to come back,
To quit this sham of a war.
Not civilians, but, soldiers,
I came to fight all this far.

Mom, I have blood on my hands.
For the false WMD,
I have killed the innocents.
I pray that He pardons me.


* Written in abcb, 7-7-7-7 format

*The author, a former Captain in the Army, had a rare validation of his thoughts from one of the readers, whose letter is reproduced below, preserving anonymity:

“I visited your port as I have read your many reviews and think of you, from such writing, as a thinking, deeply interested soul. My own son was in the war written of here, he too had such thoughts, none he shared in letters- but words he shared in privacy with me, on his return home. Tragically, he did not live long enough to share his torments with anyone else but "He", he longed to feel such pardon.”


* The initial item 844522 was deleted on 22 March 2005. At that time, it had been rated 4.5 by 9 viewers. It was replaced by entry no. 336196 in "WAR POETRY--award winner" . Posted again as an independent item on 15 December 2007.


M C Gupta
1 May 2004