Rows of Soldiers
Painted footprints on the sidewalk
In front of the recruiting office
Where young men and women line up standing tall
In a row, their first time as soldiers.
In antiquated tidy rows they learn to stand,
Row on row on parade grounds marching,
For commanders who still love rows
Despite their lack of usefulness in modern war.
No one attacks in close formation anymore,
Or boxes like Napoleon’s or static lines like Redcoats.
No one lines up neatly to be slaughtered anymore
By other men in other lines with guns and standing at
attention.
Instead they fight the way our fathers fought,
In the beginning when with rifled muskets, taking pot shots.
American soldiers hid behind the trees and rocks, not
fighting fair,
But fighting for a purpose; fighting to be free.
And in the end our soldiers, not so young now,
Come home to stand in neat lines on parade grounds
One more time to give us one last look and a chance
To show our gratitude,
... for their service.
© 2018 by Tom King
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