Privilege

Privilege

A Poem by Michael R. Burch

Privilege
by Michael R. Burch

 
This poem is dedicated to Harvey Stanbrough, an ex-marine who was nominated for the 1999 Pulitzer Prize and has written passionately and eloquently about the horror and absurdity of war in “Lessons for a Barren Population.”

 
No, I will never know
what you saw or what you felt,
thrust into the maw of Eternity,
 

watching the mortars nightly
greedily making their rounds,
hearing the soft damp hiss
 

of men’s souls like helium escaping
their collapsing torn bodies,
or lying alone, feeling the great roar
 

of your own heart.
But I know:
there is a bitter knowledge
 

of death I have not achieved,
and in thankful ignorance,
and especially for my son
 

and for all who benefit so easily
at so unthinkable a price,
I thank you.
 

Published by Romantics Quarterly, Poetic Reflections and Poetry Super Highway. Keywords/Tags: Vietnam War, marines, military, maw, mortars, rounds, souls, escaping, bodies, corpses, death, heart, roar, bitter, knowledge, thanks, thank you, service, honor, duty, courage, bravery, heroism, patriotism

© 2020 Michael R. Burch


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Added on May 4, 2020
Last Updated on May 4, 2020
Tags: Vietnam War, marines, military, service, honor, duty, courage, bravery, heroism, patriotism, mortars, rounds, souls, escaping, bodies, corpses, death, heart, roar, bitter, knowledge, thanks, thank you