The Silent Sad Soldiers (a poem I did for World Literature last year)

Twenty miles, twenty miles
Twenty miles closer
Nearer the desert of hate
Marched the Sad Soldiers
'Into Iraq we go!
Go for the tanks!' They barked
Into the desrt of hate
Marched the sad soldiers

Into Iraq we go
Sad but they can't say no
Pride is still all you see
Up in the first row
Forced to salute the day
Forced to fight, left to pray
Forced to die then to stay
Faces like drops in the sea
Marched the sad soldiers

Gunfire throughout the trip
Gunfire breaks every grip
Gunfire starts simple slips
Battered and Beaten
Soldiers are reaped like wheat
Losing, they take their seat
Inside the hand of God
Far from their frazzled fleet
Marched the sad soldiers

Wave their guns in the sky
Wave them proud, wave them high
Shoot when the traitors lie
Send sorry souls a scar
Clouds above thundered
Somehow survive the fight
Die just to make things right
Bush and Osama
Search through the tears for light
Painted and Plundered
Soon they'll be home but no
Not the sad soldiers

Gunfire glares grimly down
Gunfire rains you might drown
Gunfire throughout the town
Battered and Beaten
Soldiers are taken out
Left under earthy grout
No voices left to shout
They're in the pearly gates
No longer plagued by doubt
No longer faces frown
So few sad soldiers

Memories will never die
Heroes can never hide
So many scarred boys
Let joy and hope collide
Let boys and men confide
Silent Sad Soldiers