Who Knows

 

Who Knows

Who knows the price, of freedom fought, the battles won and lost?

The place of eternal pain, sad lessons taught, who knows the cost?

The heartbreaking paths, that in awful grief, troubled people tread,

The journey, constantly gouging pain, where young hearts have bled.

Mothers plagued, with numbing thoughts, burdened to their grave,

For sons and daughters, of sacrifice, lost souls, they could not save.

Brave soldiers of war, who have paid the debt, for freedoms cause,

Their lives forfeited, owned by another, hell bent, on waging wars.

They will never own the freedom, the romantic visions, of paradise,

With their destiny, spirited away, for someone else, to roll their dice.

Born to die, on someone’s battlefield, long before they weary grow,

Desperately fighting, for someone else’s sick dreams, blow-by-blow.

Inside each watchful eye, the measure of courage, is never the same,

When life or death, is within their reach, fought in freedom’s name.

Each day, over again, as they say their last, perhaps a silent prayer,

The solemn ritual repeating, their future, and fortune, set in the air.

Living under, deaths veil, where each soul, has solemnly surrendered,

All their dreams, the life, that they will never know, totally upended.

Uncertain, what each day will bring, or when, deaths bell will chime,

As the angel of death, reaches out, plucking their souls, calling time.

Perhaps their medals will hang, above the mantle, in place of pride,

Or concealed in a secret place, where sad evocative memories hide.

Never seeing, light of day, inside the badly broken hearts, distraught,

In the never-ending place, locked inside, the sad emotions wrought.

They sold their souls, to freedoms cause, caught in the army ranks,

And others will follow, in their steps, to all of them, eternal thanks.

Written By: Alan.Clark@WW1POET (July 2024)