The Sounds of War

The Sounds of War

The sounds of war
Some would think to be
Explosives from
Massive artillery.
We think of guns and bombs
And perhaps sirens going off
Equipment coming in
And airplanes taking off.
Those who fight for our freedom
See these things, it's true
But there are more subtle sounds
And these are war sounds too.
There is the absence of joyous laughter
And the sound of quiet tears
With the receipt of letters from home
That alleviate worries and fears.
There is the sound of opening of packages
Of meals which are ready to eat
The sound of equipment being cleaned
And the sounds of comrades as they meet.
There is the sound of soft breathing
In the darkness of barracks or in tents
There is the sound of guns being cleaned
And the sighs of weariness and energy spent.
There are the obvious sounds of war
From the helicopters arriving each day
To bring in the wounded or
To take those who are wounded away.
But as loud as the obvious battle sounds
That cause our hearts to fear
Is the absence of certain sounds from home
Those sounds we love to hear.
The sound of silence can be deafening
As they miss those sounds that mean the most
Those are the sounds they are fighting for
Those sounds must not be lost.
At home the sounds continue
With tears shed in loneliness or grief
As loved ones wait for the sound of the postman
With perhaps a letter to bring relief.
There are sounds of parents and wives praying
As they await the return of those they love
And through it all here and abroad
We want to keep the sounds of those we love.
Thena Cullen Smith

That was beautiful. It made me misty. Loved it. What a tribute to our soldiers and their families!