The Soldiers Rest...


"The Soldiers Rest"
Photographed -&- Written by G.,G.Rae
Photograph of The Chalmette National Cemetery (Chalmette, Louisiana) 


The Soldiers Rest

A national cemetery
A mass grave
A timeline of history in itself
A monument to fallen heroes
Who thought of more than just themselves

This is where the soldiers rest
This is where they lay their heads
This is where loved ones come to visit them
In this place to mourn the dead

Thousands of unfamiliar names
In rows as far as the eye can see
And with them
Thousands of untold stories
That span our history

This is where the soldiers rest
In this setting serene and bittersweet
Feel the calmness in the air
Feel the lull of soldiers in eternal sleep

How many adversaries did these heroes subdue
How many lives did these warriors save
Did they save the life of at least one person
Or did some of them die in vain

This is where the soldiers rest
But is this a peaceful sleep
When the time came for them to close their eyes
Where they able to find heaven in their dreams

I walk along this quiet path
I put loved ones faces with the names
I try to make sense of why they’re resting here
I want to believe their deaths were not in vain

There are two sides to every story
Two sides to every fight
and as with every argument
Both sides believe they’re right

Loved ones put on uniforms
They leave with the idea they’re keeping the world safe
They go to someone else's home
And justify the lives they take

But if they take one life
Then lose their own
More will be sent in their place
Which raises the questions

What exactly are they fighting for
&
Who are they really keeping safe

A national cemetery
A mass grave
Proof
Of history taught
But never learned

Watching helplessly as it repeats itself
Knowing each generation will have their turn

Decorated were these heroes
Now decorated are their graves
They risked it all for our freedom
They gave their lives to keep us safe


~ The Soldiers Rest ~
Written -&- Photographed by G.,G.Rae
Copyright © 2005
Ginger Gonzales
All Rights Reserved

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