They sit in the corner and wait -
Two souvenirs of the Second World War
That have withstood the time, and the hate.
Mute witness to a time of much trouble.
Where kill or be killed was the law -
Were these implements used with high honor?
What was the glory they saw?
Many times I've wanted to ask them -
And now that we're here all alone,
Relics all three of a long ago war -
Where has freedom gone?
Freedom flies in your heart like an eagle.
Let it soar with the winds high above
Among the spirits of soldiers now sleeping,
Guard it with care and with love.
I salute my old friends in the corner,
I agree with all they have said -
And if the moment of truth comes tomorrow,
I'll be free, or By God, I'll be dead!
—Audie Murphy
(hat tip JF, who sent this to me)Here are other Audie Murphy poems.
Didn't know the man wrote poems.Thanks! Great war hero,tho of course he seemed to hate that stuff,tho it gave him a Hollywood career for awhile,to pay for hunting and fishing.Those movies were corny in the costuming,but they had grit and subtlety in the scripts and plots (one movie where he played Jimmy Stewart's "brother gone bad" was particularly cool.I gained a even more respect for him after an Audie-bingefest 10 years ago.Worth checking out.
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