A Soldier Died Today
by A. Lawrence Vaincourt (Canadian Poet who died 2009)
He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast
And he sat around the legion
Telling stories of the past
Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done
In his exploits with his buddies
They were heroes every one
And though sometimes to his neighbours
His tales became a joke
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew whereof he spoke
But we will hear his tales no longer
For old Bob has passed away
And the world’s a little poorer
For a Soldier died today
He won’t be mourned by many
Just his children and his wife
For he lived an ordinary
Very quiet sort of life
He held a job and raised a family
Going quietly on his way
And the world won’t note his passing
Tho’ a Soldier died today
When politicians leave this earth
Their bodies lie in state
While thousands note their passing
And proclaim that they were great
Papers tell of their life stories
From the time they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed and unsung
Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife
Goes off to serve his country
And offer up his life
The politicians’ stipend
And the style in which he lives
Are often disproportionate
To the service that he gives
While the ordinary Soldier
Who offered up his all
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small
It’s so easy to forget them
For it is so many times
That our Bobs and Jims
Went to battle but we still pine
It was not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys
Who won for us the freedom
That our Country now enjoys
Should you find yourself in danger
With your enemies at hand
Would you really want some cop out
With his ever-waffling stand
Or would you want a Soldier
His home, his country, his kin
Just a common Soldier
Who would fight until the end
He was just a common Solder
And his ranks are growing thin
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again
For when countries are in conflict
We find the Soldiers part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start
If we cannot do him honour
While he’s here to hear the praise
Then at least let’s give him homage
At the ending of his days
Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say
Our country is in mourning
A Soldier died today.
