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A Soldier's Poem to Jack Layton

Ole Jack Layton ~ Thoughts From A Soldier

Dear Jack Layton,

You sit there in your quiet home
No fear is in your heart,
You sleep soundly certain that
It won't be blown apart.

Your children they can go to school
And play out in the park,
They've never seen a bomb explode
Heard air raids in the dark.

They've never seen dead bodies
Piled up on the street,
Your wife, she won't be beaten
Treated like a piece of meat

You are free to form opinions
Read any news print you can see,
You enjoy your rights and privileges
In this country wide and free.

The reason you can live like that
Is because I fight your wars
I fight and push the enemy back
I keep them off our shores.

I am here and you are there
Pretending you know best.
Well Ole Jack now listen close
While I get this off my chest.

You have the right to criticize
You have the right to complain
You don't have the right to drag me down
In a stupid political game

The thing about your rights Ole Jack
The part you can't comprehend
Is you work in the very system
The democracy I defend

I stand on fences around the world
Protecting those that need it
It is not for you too determine Jack
Whether or not it's worth it.

Ask the people in Afghanistan
If they want me to stay,
Women and children depend on me
You say just walk away.

I don't need your changing policy
Trying hard to not lose face
What I need is you behind me
Helping protect this place.

You know its hard to do this
When I Think I'm all alone.
I hear stories of young punks
Pissing on memorial stones.

I read the papers over hear
And they tell me what is said.
Canadians are losing faith
I can't get it through my head.

You say that it is hopeless
It really brings me down
Don't tell my mother we're losing
Spread that rumour around.

I'm doing good, were winning here
But no-one will believe
Because we are way over here
Where no one there can see.

Women here can work you see
Children starting school.
We built a working government
We've broken Taliban rule.

We are so close to winning this
It's not too far away
History will show that we
Were in the right to stay.

When that brilliant day arrives
Victory you'll claim is ours
You'll forget you said to run away
Forget you are a coward

On that day just thank me
For my courage and my trouble
Find another place that needs help
And send me on the double.

written by Josh Forbes
Calgary Alberta Canada

Hat tip exg

We don't start fights my friends, but we finish them, and never leave until our work is done.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Friday, September 22, 2006.