WOODEN SOLDIERS

This following poem is the one I sent to our soldiers in Iraq.  I hope they like it, I sent 160 copies of the same. That way each soldier gets a souvenir from home to take back home when they go. Soon I hope!!!  I also sent 30 other poems and stories along with Wooden Soldiers>

Wooden Soldiers

By D.G. Ford



Like soldiers all of wood,
And all along the river bank,
Standing firm and tall.
Some in rows and flanks,

Their arms outstretched.
Their feet were planted firm.
These tree-like men abound
Without a worry or concern.

And those that stand beside the shore,
Whose roots draw water easily,
Whose mirror-image, shadow- life
Looks back upon itself to see.
Reflections of some early age,
Reminders of those times gone by.
When from a tiny seed it grew.
From earth the buried seed did rise.

It simply sprang forth from the ground
And joined the other soldiers there.
These solitary soldiers stand.
Unstopped by winds without a care.

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I think you should post this! Wow! What a great piece, Don. How did you get the opportunity to send reading materials? That is such a great contribution...!! I'd love to be able to do that.
Thanks for sharing your story with me,
Amy


Hi again,
I had a wonderful opportunity to give 160 soldiers a little reading material. I know I could have done a better job by maybe sending other works by famous poets and writers, but the deed is done, and one battalion is going to get mighty sick of my crazy poetry after a while. The boys and girls over in Iraq love to read stories and the like. They also love to hear from the states. So I gave a group of girl scouts my 160 poems called Wooden Soldiers along with a number of other pieces I wrote for their amusement and entertainment. The scouts were sending candy and cards, so why not some reading material too. I sent only my name and no addresses.

P.S.  I heard from a soldier's mom and she said if you send the soldiers anything be sure to include foot powder for their boots also.