Sherman's Lament

This is a piece I've been working on for a while. It was inspired by several quotes I've read by General Sherman concerning war.

Sherman's Lament
by John W. Leys

For General William Tecumseh Sherman
and soldiers everywhere.

The day over, the battle won.
No joy rests in the victory.
The home front questions tactics,
I'm a soldier accused of barbary

Looking out o'er the battlefield
I see the bodies of fathers, sons and brothers.
Their blood cried out to me from the mud
Like the weeping of wives, sisters and mothers.

I'm but a humble soldier
With a job that must be done.
A country that needs healing,
A war that must be won.

We fight for freedom and glory,
Or so the politicians tell.
But their reasons are all moonshine
This war—all war—is Hell.

18 May 2008