Poetry / The Call (Analysis)
The call to arms, to duty, rang— its
echoes rolled across both land and sea;
putting your life on hold, you answered it,
and once again you donned the Army green.
Some hesitated, questioned the call,
you gathered up your bags and met the plane;
you said goodbye, and tears did fall,
but, with honor, flew into the cloudy gray.
When you stepped into the desert bright
and dry, hot wind first blew across your face,
you didn’t shrink away and hide your eyes—
head held high and proud, you took your place.
There are those who shout “This war is not our fight!”
spending freedom as they march and carry signs,
yet, secure they sleep in feathered beds at night
while, in tents and bunkers, you pay freedom’s price.
They’ve never felt a passing bullet’s flight,
or seen firsthand a homemade bomb’s great harm;
they’ve never known the pain of holding tight
a wounded comrade dying in their arms.
You serve the cause of liberty because
much is asked of those whose courage shines;
you serve the cause of justice because
much is asked of those who sacrifice.
You serve the cause of freedom in a
hostile land whose people aren’t your own,
and we wait and pray and count the days,
each too long, until you come back home.
You need to log in to urbis or create an urbis account to review this writing.
Reviews
Sort Reviews by Newest | Oldest | Highest Quality | Lowest Quality | Newest Comments |
This 10 word review has not been unlocked.
Very powerful, a great way to face those that abuse freedom. Although I’d be careful publishing this unless you were actually in the army.
As for me I cry to easily so…
- add/view comments (0)
First stanza is an interesting rhyme scheme. It’s simple but in its simplicity it conveys the power of a singular call. I think it was certainly appropriate to repeat “it” in reference to the call, both literal AND metaphorical that you describe.
As I personally know a reservist navy officer who did not take up the call when asked, there is acertain understanding to the daunting journey ahead. The military is calling those who are not necessarily qualified for ground fighting and the use of firearms in a wartime setting and setting them up as guards and defense in Iraq. It’s troubling but your second stanza highlights this complex issue well. Does one turn down the call, go to jail or get kicked out of the military, or take up the oath of the reservist to participate in a national action on foreign ground? The first line is a great contrast to set up the dichotomy you want. I liked it.
I really enjoyed your poem. The office issues from a critical standpoint on the definitions of “liberty” and the cause of “justice” are on their own each philosophical quandaries. Whose justice is being served?
The poem is great for the Stars and Stripes because it is a military themed writing fit for military consumption, and this poem fits that mold perfectly. Just the right level of both support for the war and the hope for the war to end.
A call to duty in a land far away with a people who distrust the call and who kill and maim and shoot bullets at our soldiers.
I think that you don’t need to change a thing- set up as it is, with the level of descriptiveness, it is ideal to convince soldiers to accept the call to join a war in a foreign land.
Good luck with it, and I hope that you edited it to your liking.
I am giving you two 10’s for “to have poetry published” and “to be published” as you stated you are being published.
That being said, this has a way to go.
If you are going to rhyme go for it… all the way through the piece. If not, that is ok. But it feels as though you came up with the 3 rhyming stanza’s and wrote the rest of the piece around them. And that isn’t working.
“You serve the cause of liberty because
much is asked of those whose courage shines;
you serve the cause of justice because
much is asked of those who sacrifice.”
Way too many “cause/because”s in that stanza…
Glad to see you can write in support of a POV not your own, glad to see you are being published. But this is very clunky over all.
Showing 1 - 4 of 4
Review item
Add to faves
GENERAL
REVIEW QUEUE
Ratings & Rankings
