THE FINAL INSPECTION
The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?"
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
~Author Unknown~
Lady of The Lake
exerpt from Poem of Sir Walter Scott:
Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking:
Dream of battled fields no more,
Days of danger, nights of waking.
(The Lady of the Lake: Canto 1, 624-627)
The muffled drums sad roll has beat -
The soldiers last tattoo;
No more on life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few -
On fames eternal camping ground,
Their silent tents are spread.
And glory guards, with solemn round,
The bivouac of the Dead" -
Theodore O' Hara
When war is rife and danger nigh
God and soldier is the nation's cry
When war is done and wrong is righted
Gods forgotten,
the soldier slighted
author unknown
We will close this page with a quote from A great American: Robert E. Lee
In December 1862, at Fredericksburg, Lee watched "those people"- his remarkably restrained name for people he fought (union) every day - march to almost certain death uphill toward his own massed and waiting army, When Jackson's men charged and nearly drove the Federals into the Rappahannock,
Lee remarked, "It is a good thing war is so terrible; else we should grow too fond of it,"
This was a moment of insight into his own human weakness.
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