Generations of Valor
They stand together
Soldiers young and old
As we sit down beside them
Their stories unfold
Tell me son
What happened to you
Please take your time
I wish to hear you through
I was out on patrol
Looking for improvised devices
Their made of plastic now
For modern sacrifices
But this one was different
It was set on remote
Triggered at distance
As the enemy gloat
Catapulted, bleeding
As I land on the sand
My face lacerated
As are my hands
My left hand has gone
As are my eyes
My emotions are drained
I can no longer cry
I am flown home
To Edwards Air Base
Not the way I left
A new tomorrow I face
My brave young son
I shall cry for you
Yes tomorrow is new
But we will see it through
As he wipes his tears
His son says to his father
Tell me your story again
So my thoughts again gather
Well, it was so long ago
And although I am old
The horrors of wars
Should always be told
It was the 6th of June
1944
The day the war had turned
And what we fought for
I was one of thousands
As we hit the beaches
Under heavy fire
Bodies bleeding, bodies bleached
After being pinned down for hours
We finally made a breakthrough
Their lines broken
Our determination pursued
Our objective, Bayeux
To cut off the road to Caen
Re-assemble and group
As we mean to go on
We were on the outskirts
As a 109E attacked
My platoon was strafed
As it's bullets impact
I was hit three times
In my legs and chest
Shipped back home
Asking why was I blessed
After the war
In the Army I stayed
As an injury counsellor
For other wars have been played
Father and son stood together
Hugged for tomorrow
Yes, there will be more wars
And what they'll bring is more sorrow
We Bow in Remembrance
Head bowed
Another lost
Only nineteen
Life exhaust
Suicide bomber
Checkpoint aimed
Distant detonation
Bloodthirsty reign
Flown home
Last journey
Sombre flight
Deceased early
Airport met
Coffin carried
Mourning wife
Newly married
Another hero
Theatre down
Another funeral
Tearful town
Families gather
Friends unite
Stars n Stripes
Mournful sight
Firing salute
Last farewell
Congregation disperse
Wishing well
The B-17 and the bf-109
Somewhere over Europe
A B-17 flies
Strafed and damaged
In her enemies skies
The flak has taken
It's toll on the plane
This crew so brave
In this theatre of war campaign
Many hours have passed
With no sight of the channel
Only land ahead
Is it our instrument panel
A shout is heard from the rear of the plane
A Messerschmitt bf-109, beside us flies
We are sitting targets for another kill
The pilot turns his head, as I look into his eyes
He is making a gesture
For us to turn 180 degrees
Do we believe our enemy
But we eventually agree
He continues to fly
Like an escort of question
Were we right to agree
His degree of suggestion
For up ahead we see
The glint of blue water
Our horizon of hope
Are we saved from slaughter
Moments later
As I turn my head again
A wave from the German
As he banks his fighter plane
We are now well over the channel
As we sight the white Cliffs of Dover
Our B-17 in struggle
This mission near over
On the runway at Kimbolton
The fire crews stand ready
Will our plane take the landing
Is our undercarriage steady
Touch down we make
As we talk of our flight back
About the German fighter pilot
Who refused to attack
It is now many years later
For we were lucky, we grew old
As we assembled on anniversary
Our story could now be told
For he had kept it his secret
But now we have to say
Franz Stigler and his German fighter
Is why we are before you today
He was scrambled to intercept
The enemy that we were then
When he arrived we awaited
The fate of us men
When he viewed our plane
He couldn't believe his eyes
Why something so shot up
Still flew in his skies
When he returned to base
In his report he states
It went down over the sea
And sealed our fate
After all these years
I am so happy we have met
We have lived many years
While our lost colleagues have slept
I thank you Sir
For sparing the lives of my crew
As we stand together for peace
We salute you
<*>
When a Blind Man Cries
On a patrol for the good so far from their home
Professional in their minds, never to roam
But this is a world, where feelings are forgotten
Damning souls of destruction fuelled with gun-cotton
For on rocky outcrops and deserted sand paths
Lie hidden dangers to take life from it's grasp
Coalition troops, our children just boys
Doing their duty for their orders employ
On missions they set out to rid insurgent scum
Against a tactic so great, guerrilla warfare hit and run
Recent news has informed us, that another has been downed
A father, uncle or son, leave another family tear drowned
Another hidden device in his face has exploded
Their hunger to hate once again has been loaded
Medics rush in to save the life of their soul
Knowing when he's home, another stat for wars toll
Many weeks he recuperates, behind bandages and care
Visited by friends, but only his children do stare
His strength now regained, but not the man he once was
A silence beckons then turns to applause
Assisted by comrades as he is led to collect
His medal of valour whilst inside he reflects
In his future years knowing his children grow strong
For he's in a dark world, where he doesn't belong
Emotions so many will follow his years
For when this blind man cries, we must share in his tears
Of Canada, Canadians We Are
On the top of the berm
One Canadian soldier stood
His head bowed
Heavily understood
We sign up to do
What the duty ensues
To our flag we obey
Our enemies, we pursue
This tor of abroad
In a distant land
Four lives so free
Leaving families bland
As we awake tomorrow
Knowing of yesterdays gone
We do for the right
For on this world we belong
We are a nation of many
Some days we will scar
Of Canada
Canadians we are
My tribute to the many Canadian soldiers who have fought for not only their
Countries freedom, but to preserve world peace, i bow to the living and fallen.
Lost Where They do not Belong
Parents and spouses to their photo's they look, another
hero was killed fighting for our freedom, lost
so far from his home and family, today
we continue to send our sons and daughters, but
there will come a day when, they
will live as free as we do, will
we ever learn from these theatres, never
again should we out live our children , be
cause' another was lost today, but they will never be, forgotten
Reflections
Through the window of life I look
To tomorrow, a different day
Thoughts of my husband my love
Lost to wars theatre decay
When I awake every morning
And look at the faces of our kids
When do I tell them their daddy's gone
And lift our lives from this rid
What do I tell them
Every time they hear the door
When they think its their father
Who won't be coming home anymore
What do I tell myself
When I retire every night
Touching the side where he once lay
The one who held me tight
What do I tell them
When I'm tear laden day to day
What do you tell twins of one year old
When they don't understand what I say
When do I tell myself
That tomorrows a different day
Reflections are left of what could have been
For war has left its say
Man Against Themselves
Man against man since the beginning of time
Neanderthal to present in evolutionary climb
Warring breeds and creeds past to present
We continue to maim in grievous resent
Murdering your neighbour or killing your friend
This intelligence of he will we ever comprehend
Conflicts happen, fabricated created
Man in our time are now underrated
Only the dead have seen the end of wars
Only the living ask and wonder what for?