The sacrifice for country has no reward.

Win a gold medal
in the Olympics,
become a household hero,
and the world
is your oyster,
lose a limb
or even die
for your country
and no one
knows your name,
little lone rewarded.
I like to start
the story now.
In the news today
a gallant soldier
got a gold medal
for throwing the
javelin killing a
enemy soldier
at eighty metres.
A soldier throwing
the discus got silver
for wounding a
enemy soldier in
the shoulder
at the seventy five
metre mark.
More news,
a soldier got gold
for the high jump record
over a hand thrown
enemy grenade,
apparently it was
five metres high
and he landed safely.
In the rifle shooting
there were three golds,
two silvers, and
one bronze medal
for killing the enemy
outright.
In the soccer
against the enemy
there were no
winners, it was a draw.
Tomorrow we have
boxing prisoners
til they are dead, the swimming relays
placing mines on ships,
and diving for cover.
Till then goodnight.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

very clever write...paralleling the olympics to the olympics of war....

games vs. war games...

I am diving for the covers.

j.

[andrew mitchell]

Thank you J for your kind words. Looking after war veterans seems a taboo subject around politicians compared to winning sport athletes.