The first I remember reading
Was a large geography book;
But it was the first section
Of the book that got me hook’d!
Those first hundred pages or so,
Weren’t about things and places,
But about the Second World War
Its epic battles and its many faces!
Thus it was my introduction
To a pivotal era of human history
That formulated the character
And psyche of the current century!
It was a war of good against evil;
But also, man against machine!
The greatest parade of heroes
And villains the world has ever seen…
Internment camps; the holocaust
A catalog of man’s brutal inhumanity,
Rape and pillage, the Death March
After Bataan, in my own country!
Yet from the treachery at Pearl
To the valiant stand at Stalingrad,
Unselfish and heroic deeds abound,
All written in crimson blood!
From Schindler who saved thousands
To Churchill who rallied his country men
To MacArthur who vowed to return;
His promise was not in vain
And countless more unsung heroes
Who made us feel human yet again!
A Great War! Alas, good triumphed not
Yes, the lesser of two evils prevailed
But in its wake, the nuclear genie escaped
The face of the Apocalypse unveiled!
Hence our generation lives precariously
Under the threat of Armageddon
The fear of a thermonuclear cataclysm;
Instant, complete and utter annihilation!
Our collective soul yearns for solace
Hoping and praying for salvation!
I reflect back on the day I first read
The book that opened my eyes
For I know just like the Great War,
From amongst us, heroes will arise!
To save planet Earth yet again
And show the world, hope never dies!!!
02-12-2016
© Vic A Evora...
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Parker Jennings
almost 4 yearsExcellent poem, I like the write downwards marching from the duality of good and evil to evil and lesser evil. Personally, I've gotten rid of "hope" (a buddhist teaching helped me) and as a result I've gotten rid of a lot of anxiety and personal turmoil. But I see how the indomitable human spirit continues. Vic you probably inspire a lot of people with hope.
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Vic
almost 4 yearsIn the upper left hand corner of the standard picture for your poem, you will see a camera icon. Click on it, and it will ask you if you want to use a picture from the Poeticous gallery or upload your own photo.
Thank you for reading/liking my poems. And thanks for the follow.