I wrote this April 6, 2003 when there was a possibility that my husband (then boyfriend) was almost recalled by the Army.
Broken hearts and bloodied tears,
Scars that still burn.
The ground rolls with thunder and spears of fire.
Innocence dies in a nameless sea that churns and churns.
As we are all prisoners of war.
A mother cries for her son and daughter.
Little children with scraped knees playing cowboys and indians,
Worlds spread apart by water.
History is re-born behind buildings in shadowed ally’s.
As we are all prisoners of war.
Thunder claps overhead.
They march single file.
Into the face of the unknown they are led.
Being bound by duty all the while.
As we are all prisoners of war.
The proud and the beautiful
With dirt smudged hope.
Their battle cries are heard by millions that stand faithful.
Letters of assurance are written and sent home.
As we are all prisoners of war.
Life Changing the World: A Phoenix's Aria 
You have the “it” when it comes to writing! I felt the insecurity and the uncertainty of your lives during that time. That is writing!
You truly honor me with your words. It really means a lot. Thank you and with much Respect,
Phoenix
Words such as these are truly powerful. It’s like that verse from that old BeeGees song, “They’re only words but words are all I have to take your heart away.” You as the crafter of your words have that inner ability to such.. Peace
“we are all prisoners of war” I have always felt the repeated refrain can be very dramatic and powerful in poetry and you have clearly demonstrated that such is true in this poem.
Thank you Carl. That is very nice of you to say.
Respectfully,
Phoenix
Brilliant Phoenix,
I agree with the other comments on here wholeheartedly, you most certainly have “it” 🙂
xxx
That was a beautiful poem, seems your husband and me have something in common, we both are ex-soldiers. With the exception I was in the Spanish Army, The Legion. Long story how I ended from the U.S to Spain and into the army. But been there, seen it in two screwed up countries and I really didn´t know how it affected my loved ones up until recently that I moved back to my parents house at age 30, now I´m 31,(another long story). Since back then I had very relationship with them, didn´t have a girlfriend, it was really us me and my guys. Plus in Spain I don´t even think the public knows they have an army, let alone that if actually fights in wars. They´re always told about us being peacekeepers, my ass if what I have been was being peacekeepers then I don´t know the definition of being a warrior, they should have to explain it to me then. No media allowed, they would search you up and down before you got on the airplane to make sure no videos or recording devices where going in, (which eventually they did no way of really searching so many guys) but we where told to not even write or call our families, when we where in Afghanishit(as I like to call it) since the official version of the government is that we where not there, in the region my unit was deployed.
So I guess that what I´m trying to say is that we are used to coming back to a non welcome party, you do the job you get back and keep living your life as “normal”, no psychologist, no pensions for the guys who got maimed, no version of an american V.A system(although it seems in the U.S right now it´s a bit screwed up), so for us is normal. What would be abnormal is what I see in the U.S when soldiers return home and everyone applauds them and say thank you and all that. Can´t even imagine how we would react in Spain, maybe even laugh at those people and say what the F? You people are nuts. Anyways, that was a rambling. Great poem.
Thank you for the compliment. I tried to serve and was turned down due to a hearing problem. Probably one of the better things that happened to me.
😉
Respectfully,
Phoenix