Brotherly Love

Those who live forever bonded round a fire and hearth, spin their tales Are stories truly worth the cost of a poor mother's cries and wails

Two friends upon a battlefield

one left on the ground as he dies

In a foxhole, the other sits

listening to his mate's poor, cries

 

The first man wanted to save his mate

but the Sergeant said, not to go

"You'll only kill yourself instead"

"I can't leave him that's all I know"

 

The Sergeant went to turn away

as the first man dove from the hole

"I have to save my friend," he said

"if it costs my immortal, soul"

 

Minutes later he slid back in

clutching his dead friend, in his arms

Mortally wounded, he was now

blood was pouring, from both forearms

 Laid to rest within his friends arms

"a waste" said the Sergeant, to some

"When I found him, he was alive

his last breath said" "I knew you'd come"

 

Those who live forever bonded

round a fire and hearth, tell the tales

Are stories told, worth the cost

of a poor mother's, cries and wails

 

Ask a man to die for country

he will die for his friend instead
But no matter why it happens

the poor man is still surely dead

 

Could we strive to be something more

than a tombstone, upon the ground

Is death the true test of friendship

when Taps plays, the ultimate sound

 

If we don't learn to love, brothers

extinction will be how Man ends

It's hard to live a life of pride

at the cost of so many friends

 

 

Author's Note

Christ said " No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for a friend"
While war seems the ultimate test of this tenant. It is the ultimate shame of humanity. While I see the need of it in WW1 and WW2. These skirmishes since have been needless waste. Humanity will destroy itself if it doesn't stop this. If we don't find the way to forgo war we will all surly die from the shame of it. The countless women and children killed by it are enough reason.

Reviews

[Levi Levin]

Very touching Tate! One of the best my friend. And as I read, I thought of those blessed words, "No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for a friend"

I love the song too!

100/100

[The Nameless]

Wow, wow and wow.

This is yet another of your wonderful, deep poems.

What you say is so true, and I think that if that man left his friend, he would have lived a life of eternal regret.

"His last breath said 'I knew you'd come'" - what a great line

Pleasure to read!! =D

[Mary]

All I could envision while reading this through my tears was the soldier's effort to comfort his dying friend, even though that meant his own death. The soldier knew what really mattered. His life was not a waste in the end, no matter the proposed purpose of the battle. Ask the mother of his friend. Thank you, sir, for this most poignant poem.

[Marie]

I would say follow logic rather than your heart...but sometimes there is no choice...

I never read this piece by Mark Twain before. I could not realize the grim irony of it at first...

[Cryingkate]

Beautiful presentation, song, Great poem and visuals. Nicely written, Heart warming humanitarian thoughts.

[David Lewis Paget]

A nice anti-war poem, Tate, but you lost me at Taps. What is Taps? It must be an American thing, perhaps it's similar to 'The last Post'.

[Cryingkate]

Taps. Is a bugle song played by one in the infantry. The bugle plays a certain song called the taps.
When a Soldier dies the bugler plays that song ceremoniously. Therefore this is where the term Taps came from. We who know, know that when the taps is being played a soldier has mortally fallen,

[Pax]

this is such a sad tale, and it speaks in reality. Can death test something like friendship, but how can friendship be build if the other one is now dead. I believe the true test of friendship are something you two both share and love put to a test.... Then love, the ever eternal beauty of the heart. I think its the most easiest lesson to learned but hate or darkness blinded us to see the beauty of it for us to learn... there is too much darkness that is clouding the mind of some people around the world, I'm still ever hopeful that mankind can leave all the darkness behind us....

This is such a heartfelt and touching tale mr. Tate...
Wonderful work!

[poeticpiers]

war is an obscene waste of men and resources. True you become closer to your comrades than to your brothers.. Sharing fear of imminent death produces close bonding. You act instinctively to save your friend or die in the attempt.
until all men accept all other men as brothers there can be no lasting peace.
But even between flesh and blood brothers there can be enmity.

[Tomi]

Laid to rest within his friends arms
"a waste" said the Sergeant, to some
"When I found him, he was alive
his last breath said" "I knew you'd come"....... I love this, it touches so many things: friendship, war, sacrifice.... Another great piece of literature sir, Amazing!