Thank You for Your Service
Chests puffed, we tout
ultimate sacrifice;
loyalty trumps all.
Great uncle Sam points
his finger of pride,
raised to his children.
We want you
For US Army.
Just another boy serving —
the greatest nation on earth.
And so boys grow
into men, ready to
sign lives with ink.
They need not ponder:
freedom is telos.
Out we go,
clean-faced, like
chicks without feathers
ready to fly.
We jump, fresh air
hitting our faces
dreaming of medals,
and “thanks” from
Uncle Sam.
And we do,
come back to
a nod,
a moment of silence,
a thanks.
Too bad maple wood
holds our meat,
choking our breath,
muffling the world.
Uncle Sam is scared;
his pants may fall.
He creates a carnival
celebrating his game
that cannot be won:
A day of remembrance,
for the selfless,‘unforced’, bravery,
for the metal which seared through flesh
for the tears to wither green grass with their salt
for the lilies, bringing light to eyes, but darkness to day
for the good food, turned dry and stale, wine wasted in thought
for the bodies on bodies rotting meaninglessly into dirt
for the homes with many, but empty without one
for the children who follow in their steps
for the names scratched on walls
for the institution of death
for the lifeless eyes
for the thanks
that brings
no life.
Si Roger Li is a high school student from the Chicagoland area. He prefers the journalistic style of writing, but dabbles in poetry and creative writing in his free time. Roger enjoys the simple things in life like reading a good book, eating a good steak, and being around good friends. His poetry and prose has published in Journal and Topics, Versification, JHHF Review, and Eskimo Pie among others. He hopes to become either a sociologist or philosopher so that he will always be closely tied to the beauty of writing, and savor the meaning behind each word.
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