Tribute to our Brave Boys & Girls who are on Active Service around the World...

~The military wife~

The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into His sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"
The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order. She has to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both a father and mother, be a perfect hostess to four or forty with an hour's notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if she is pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing to move to a new location ten times in seventeen years. And, oh yes, she must have six pairs of hands!"
The angel shook her head, "Six pairs of hands? No way.
" The Lord continued, "Don't worry, I will make other military wives to help her. And I will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say, 'I understand' when she doesn't, and say 'I love you', regardless."
"Lord," said the angel, touching his arm gently. "Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow."
"I can't stop now," said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something unique. Already this model heals herself when she is sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave good-bye to her husband from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand why it's important that he leave."
The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked at it closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft."
"She might look soft," replied the Lord. "But she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure."
Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "Something is wrong with the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model."
The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. "What you see is not a leak," He said. "It's a tear." "A tear?" What is it there for?" asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride and a dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear."
"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there."

~The Silent Ranks~
I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens
But I am in the Army in the ranks rarely seen
I have no rank upon my shoulders - salutes I do not give
But the military world is the place where I live
I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget
I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line
But my job is just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind
My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man
And the call to serve his country not all can understand
Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me
I love the man I married, Soldiering is his life
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Army Wife

Goodbye My Son

Cold in the ground the warrior lies
Slain in a land far away.
Now at the grave his mother cries
She always hoped, she’d not see this day

They said he died to make us free
Surely he died not in vain.
But mama weeps on bended knee
Why was my precious soldier slain?

My son, my son now in the grave
Your life wasn't taken away
Of your own choice, your all you gave
“All for my country,” I heard you say

You were so young and full of life
A head full of hopes and dreams
To have a home and find a wife
‘Twas never meant to be it seems

She rises up, the flag to her breast
Taking a last look at his stone
Like you my son, I’ve given my best
But surely you won’t be alone

One day my son, I’ll see you again
When I join you in heaven above
For my loss, is surely your gain
Now you have our Father’s love

Though I am sad and missing you
Know that mama’s love never ends
You’ve shown your love was true
As you died for family and friends

Honour them

See them lined by column and row
Soldier, sailor, airman, marine
Many an honour the people bestow
For deeds unspoken and unseen

Just who are these gallant ones?
We come to cheer and honour this day
They are our own daughters and sons
We sent to stand in danger's way

They've been to places far and near
To defend our homes and our land
Now we come to honour them here
With waving flags and speeches grand

They've given to us the right to speak
To worship in the manner we see fit
Life and happiness we can seek
To come and go without permit

Soon the crowds will turn and go
The warriors will again be left alone
Many of these, the crowds don't know
Except by what's written upon the stone

Here this moment, enjoy this day
We wish could last for eternity
For soon my love will be going away
To a far away land over the sea

Knowing that soon he must go
We took our vows as husband and wife
Trying to not let my sadness show
Would he come home or lose his life?

Far too soon he would have to depart
I'm trying to hide the fear within
From the one who owns my soul and heart
Will I ever see my love again?

Then comes the day that I say goodbye
To the one to whom I've pledged my life
I can't hold back and I must cry
For it's hard to be a soldier's wife

With one last hug and a lingering kiss
Goodbye my precious soldier boy
Love of my life, I tell you this
My heart and mind will also deploy

For where you are, my thoughts will be

I never give much thought to those in service but this does make for some poignant reading

The Christmas Letter

I got a letter in the mail today
I read it while many tears I shed
sad and alone this Christmas day
And this is what the letter said

I'm sorry dear. I can't be there
To hug and kiss you Christmas day
Sometimes it seems just so unfair,
That I should be so far away.

But I am safe so don’t you cry
One day I will come back home to you
So please be strong; wont you try?
Love for each other will carry us through.

While I am here in this faraway place
It is so hard to have Christmas cheer
For how I long for your embrace
For it gets lonely over here.

When I return, we'll go away
Up in the mountains, just me and you.
How much I wish it were today;
For I love you dear, you know it's true

Soon I'll come home, you will see;
Then we can leave this war behind
And go somewhere, just you and me
For you are all that's on my mind.

I love you dear, I must go,
For I hear the sergeant, calling me.
I just wrote to let you know
Things will be fine, you will see.

I put down the letter and I cried
I just couldn’t stand to read any more.
For yesterday I wanted to hide
As I saw them coming to my door

On Christmas Eve he lost his life
With deepest regrets I heard them say
They broke the heart of a lonely wife
My soldier is headed home today.

glad to be of service if posting these poems just makes one person stop and think of the brave boys and girls on active service then my job is done...never shall we forget them.....

Please Wear a Poppy

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she's pinned in on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"
The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.
"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
and became a man - as you will, too.
"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.
"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.
"Till at last, at last, the war was won -
And that's why we wear a poppy son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"
A tear rolled down each faded check;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!
And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

He Laid it Down……………….

It wasn't taken
by an angry crowd.
Kill him now!
They cried out loud.

It wasnt taken
by soldiers of Rome,
as he bled and died
there all alone.

It wasnt taken
by religious men,
Who accused him of
the vilest sin.

It wasn't taken
by sinful man;
It was a gift
by God's own plan.


It wasn't taken
he laid it down;
Poured out his blood
upon the ground!

It wasn`t taken,
he gave it free;
To save the soul
of you and me!

War is Hell…………..

The sun is down,
and day is done.
A mother's lost,
her only son.

A little girl,
has lost her dad.
His little boy
is always sad.

He's left behind,
a grieving wife.
This war's destroyed,
her hopes, her life.

The warrior's gone;
now laid to rest;
for all of us;
we've lost our best.

He gave his life,
so far away,
and freedoms torch
won't pass away.

They say this war
will end them all,
but violent ways
again will call.

The rich and strong
have sent our best,
to seek out gold,
an endless quest.

To gain more wealth,
our soldiers die;
it matters not,
that mothers cry.

What good has come?
I cannot tell.
That's why they say,
that war is hell.

Covered in Glory

Returning home from a faraway land;
he's silent now no rifle in hand

The Union Jack covers a son of the land
He's departed now and in God's hand

Bravely he died to keep us free
but oft I wonder do others see?

Does Britain grieve the loss of a son?
Will we remember this valiant one?

He's just a name in a long line of blue
but he gave his life to protect me and you

So rest in peace and thank you my son
I am so grateful for what you have done

It Has Always Been The Soldier.

It is the soldier,
not the President who gives us democracy.
It is the soldier,
not the Congress who takes care of us.
It is the soldier,
not the Reporter who has given us Freedom of Press.
It is the soldier,
not the Poet who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It is the soldier,
not the campus Organizer who has given us the
Freedom to Demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
who salutes the flag;
who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
that allows the protester to burn the flag.

The Soldier
How does a soldier feel fighting a war?
Does he always know what he is fighting for?
Maybe he knows but doesn't understand,
why he is alone in a faraway land.
Like so many others he is there for a cause,
And like the rest he doesn't pause.
He has a job that he does well,
even as his best friend beside him fell.
How does he feel when he hears the news,
of violent protests from the ignorant few?
His shame is great, the pain goes deep
he feels compassion for the dead at his feet.
Rioters can boast and carry signs,
about the war that has shook our time.
But when the call comes for them to go,
they burn their draft cards and make a show.
How can a soldier be proud of his land,
when this type of people make a stand?
How can we show him we are glad he is there,
fighting for freedom and the ones who care?
War is unfair in any way of life,
and all involved must pay the price.
But the soldier is proud to keep us free,
stop and think..........
Shouldn't you be?

My Daddy`s a Sailor………….
My daddy loves me
I already know
He hugs me and kisses me
Please daddy, don't go.

As he leaves our home
On this cold wintery morn
I know that I'll miss him
My heart will be torn.

See my daddy's a sailor
I'm so glad to say
He sails on a ship
Sometimes so far away.

He travels the ocean
And goes to many places
He visits foreign countries
And sees different faces.

My daddy he misses me
He always writes me a letter
To say he'll be home soon
And that all will be better.

I'm counting the days
Until my daddy comes back
When he walks in the door
I will help him unpack.

Oh daddy please hurry
I'm waiting for you
I know you're still out there
On the ocean so blue.

Just sailing and sailing
And sailing the seas
I hope you are coming
Hurry up daddy, please.

It's been a long time
But the day's finally here
When my daddy comes home
I know that he's near.

I watch as his ship
Returns from the sea
We're proud of my daddy
My mummy and me.

He walks off the ship
As proud as can be
He did his part
So we can be free.

I run to my daddy
for a hug and a kiss
He squeezes me so tightly
A squeeze that I miss.

I'm happy my dad's home
Happy as can be
I know he did his job
for my mummy and me.

Coming Home
(written by bravolima) 10th November 2007

Inside the grey steel womb, of a C130
Flag covered coffins quietly lie
The bodies of, fine young soldiers
Oh why did they have to die.

Fine words are spoken for these gallant men
Whose coffins are inside
Lets all try to comprehend
The reason why they died

Fighting terrorism in a far off land
Leaving behind the ones they love
They are doing their duty for a promised Land
Seeking the trust of the God above

Oh why do men invent such things
As implements of war?
To kill our love ones, break our hearts
Oh, God what is it for?

Why do so many have to go
Why don't they all return?
We must leave the answer to our God
It is for us to learn!

They are gone but not forgotten
They are in our hearts and mind
They will always be a part of us
Until the end of time

Always remember the sacrifices that they made
The hardships they had to endure
The bravery of all the soldiers, alive and dead
So we can live in peace for evermore


Dedicated to the 5 brave soldiers who were killed yesterday in Afghanistan...RIP...
My sincere condolences to their families at this sad time.....


© The right of bravolima to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.….

All rights reserved. No part of these poems may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author.

Soldiers Eyes.....

To look into a soldier's eyes, the window to their soul.
Look out from inside their mind and see horrors never told.
You say we are just killers, it's not that plain you see.
Take a walk inside my boots and see what I have seen.
Many innocent lives taken and soldiers, they were some.
Giving their life freely to get the mission done.
The last cold stare of death, we see in our mates eyes.
They fought for all your freedom, this is why we die.
Some wonder why we fight to protect this nation and maybe lose our life.
Ask this question to a soldier, the answers in their eyes.
Always will we be here waiting, the call we won't deny.
We'll always fight for freedom, never asking why.
We'll go away to far off lands , leaving our loved ones behind.
Many times we die alone, several times inside.
Open windows to our soul, see the tears we hide.
Secrets that we cannot keep are in a soldier's eyes

Soldiers Eyes 2.....

When you look into a soldiers eyes
you see the images locked deep inside
the torture and hate he has seen
the deaths of friends that have been
the hard decisions he has made
the killing blast of one grenade
the countless men he has killed
the dangerous missions he has fulfilled
the horrific gore
the madness of war
the deaths of the innocent, their piercing scream
now you too wont be able to dream
that steely eyed soldier was just a boy
until war took all his joy.
so when you meet a soldier with distant eyes
think of what he has seen and why he wears that disguise

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and The British Soldier.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom

PLEASE WEAR A POPPY.....

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she's pinned in on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"
The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.
"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
and became a man - as you will, too.
"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.
"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.
"Till at last, at last, the war was won -
And that's why we wear a poppy son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"
A tear rolled down each faded check;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!
And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

I Will Not Wait…..

I will not wait for the sun to rise.
Nor will I wait to watch it set.
I will not wait for the morning sky or for what lays ahead.
I will not wait for the rain to start.
Nor will I wait to see the stars.
I will not wait for light to shine nor for the darkness that makes us blind.
I will not stay to let time pass.
Nor shall I stay to make it last.
I will not wait to see your eyes nor shall I stay to hear your cries.
I will not dream of us in life.
Nor shall I stay to believe more lies.
I shall not wait for this to be as I am finally set free.

Your Name

You got it from your father
It was all he had to give
So it's yours to use and cherish
for as long as you live.

If you lose the watch he gave you
It can always be replaced
But a black mark on your name, Son,
Can never be erased.

It was clean the day you took it
And a worthy name to bear
When he got it from his father
There was no dishonour there.

So make sure you guard it wisely,
After all is said and done
You'll be glad the name is spotless
When you give it to your son.

A Soldier's son

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray dear Lord, my soul you'll keep, My mommy says I need to pray, For many others on this day, But my daddy - he's a soldier of this I'm sure you know, He helps protect our freedom, I was sad to see him go. Although I know he's safe with you, I'd rather have him here,' cause he's the one who always said, With prayer, there's no fear. Dear Lord , I know you hear me, Way up in the sky, Please protect my daddy, I wish he was here tonight.
I love you daddy!

Worth Fighting For

Sometimes I wonder Why I am here
I hope I can hide these feelings of fear. I pray every night asking God for protection.
Lord please guide me in the right direction. It's hard to be so far away from all that I know.
How long will I stay? Halfway around the world in this country at war
I'm defending our Freedom and that's worth fighting for.

GOT YOUR BACK

I am a small and precious child, my dad's been sent to fight...
The only place I'll see his face, is in my dreams at night.
He will be gone too many days for my young mind to keep track.
I may be sad, but I am proud. My daddy's got your back.

I am a caring mother. My son was sent to war...
My mind is filled with worries that I have never known before.
Every day I try to keep my thoughts from turning black.
I may be scared, but I am proud. My son has got your back.

I am a strong and loving wife, with a husband soon to go.
There are times I'm terrified in a way most never know.
I bite my lip, and force a smile as I watch my husband pack...
My heart may break, but I am proud My husband's got you back...

I am a soldier, serving proudly, standing tall.
I fight for freedom, yours and mine by answering this call.
I do my job while knowing, the thanks it sometimes lacks.
Say a prayer that I'll come home. It's me who's got your back.