A TEAR FOR A SOLDIER: award winner

A TEAR FOR A SOLDIER: award winner


In the shade of winter trees
Along the winding alleys;
In the deep and dark forest,
Spread o’er mountains and valleys;

Arm in arm, far from the world,
Lost in thoughts of each other;
A thousand dreams in the eyes,
Our hearts pounding, aflutter;

Those were the days you and I,
Swearing of each other’s love,
Promised always to be one,
With the grace of God above.

Though it was so long ago,
And now, but, a distant dream,
Memories of olden days
I can still easily glean.

Now they are just memories!
We soon parted thereafter,
Destined not to meet again
Nor to exchange a letter.

Army service called you and
You were never heard again
After you were sent too far
Inside enemy terrain.

O my soldier, my lover,
My boyfriend of a few months,
Constant partner of my life,
Your valour on the war fronts

Did our great nation so proud.
And brought it glory, so true.
On your twenty third birthday,
I send a lone tear to you.



• Written in abcb, 7-7-7-7 syllabic format

• Originally written as item 729309, which was deleted 13 March 2006 and this poem was included as entry 412725 in the book WAR POETRY , "WAR POETRY--award winner" . Re-posted as static item on 4 June 2007. At the time of deletion, it had been rated 4.5 by 7 viewers.

• Awarded third prize in the in the “Rhyme this line” contest, "Invalid Item" , August 2003.



M C Gupta
1 August, 2003