PTSD - The Soldier and the Bottle

Steven Dupere 1963 (MA)

May 23

Sands of time have brought us down
For blood we’ve spilled upon the ground
Promises were given and lies were told
Was the bill of goods that we were sold

They pin their medals and offer us pride
But the ones who lived are the ones who died
Brothers fell wayside soul by soul
But it was the living who paid the toll

We fought their battles and gave our lives
Returning home broken to children and wives
Limbs and bodies left dead on the field
Their corpses were used as human shield

We gave and we left the families we had
Our scars returned us broken and sad
Now we find ourselves lost in a bottle of gin
Fighting a new war as a battle of sin

We stood strong and proud until bodies fell
Where bombs blew open our living hell
Tearing our lives apart one and all
For it was our spirits that took the fall

The killing has stolen our will to live
For acts we’ve committed we cannot forgive
So please bear with us for who we are not
Now the bullets we dodge are a whiskey shot

About this poem

This poem is not about me. I was unable to serve due to medical conditions. This is for those who suffer the rigors of war. :-)

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Written on May 02, 2023

Submitted by Symmetry60 on May 02, 2023

Modified by Symmetry60 on May 15, 2024

: 1:04 min read
: 169 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	XXAA BBCC XXDD EEFF GGHH XXII
Closest metre	Iambic pentameter
Characters	998
Words	215
Stanzas	6
Stanza Lengths	4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Full analysis for PTSD - The Soldier and the Bottle »

Steven Dupere

With a book of poetry to boast, Waltz of Semantic Tongues, Steven has been challenging nervous canvases for more time than time can shake an eon at. This is a shard of that fallout. more…

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cokerrogers
I want you to know cuz first and for most. F*** the lack of care and help that soldiers deal with from the government and the military that you gave strength to. Ive never been in nor never really wanted to be in tge military but this touched me. I am still trying to donate my kidney to a vet in need but have had some horse sh*t setbacks from a medical system that should have never been there. My hands are tied and the decision that was made should have been mine. Anyways I want you to know that I would honestly give you my heart if you or anyone in your family needed it to live. That is the 100 percent truth. Im extremely thankful and proud of you all the soldiers and although I can never even pretend to know what yall go through just know as soon as the medical and military leaders get there thumbs out of their f***ing asses, im there for it least one of you. Try to keep that head high my man. You are always gonna be our strength through thick and thin. Great Poem btw. more »
LikeReply3 days ago
- Symmetry60
  Apologies, but I must make clear as I have done on other poem I've written - this poem is not autobiographical in nature but rather written first person only to lend an emotional, firsthand feel to it. Never would I assume a role I have never undertaken. For this I apologize for any misunderstanding. My friend Randy, on this site, has served and he is deserving of the accolade, but I am not. I have made this clear in the foot notes of others I've written in this genre. For as much as I wanted to be a Marine, I could not due to medical conditions. I write for the sake of the brave men and women who sacrifice life and limb for those of us who have not, or could not, serve. Thank you for the kind words in regard to the poem itself, but the remaining accolade goes to men like Randy who are the true heroes. ;-) more »
  LikeReply3 days ago
- cokerrogers
  no apologies needed bud. You write beautifully and vividly. If you dont mind, id like to leave the comment but if you'd like to remove it i understand.
  LikeReply3 days ago
- Symmetry60
  No need to remove it. Not that we're able to even if we wanted as there is no delete feature for removing comments that I know of, which is frustrating as there have been many in the past I wanted to remove but couldn't. We need to let administration know we'd like a "delete" feature. I've no issue whatsoever with your comment though. more »
  LikeReply3 days ago
- cokerrogers
  I just tapped the flag beside "REPLY" and it was a direct link to administrators with a comment box. That might be a fix. Justin try asking them to remove it next time. Want me to try it? I dont mind. more »
  LikeReply3 days ago
nfowke
A very moving and vivid depiction of post war conflicts.
LikeReply 14 months ago

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"PTSD - The Soldier and the Bottle" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/161244/ptsd---the-soldier-and-the-bottle>.

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