By Cheri Finch[]
The Heroes of Belleau Wood[]
This poem is for the brave Marines who fought in the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I. They were amazingly corageous and perseverant, and the enemy nicknamed them "hounds of terror". In fact, they fought so well, that the wood was renamed after them.
These heroes gone, these soldiers left,
These adults and these teens,
These hounds of terror to the enemy,
These brave and strong Marines.
Known once by broken family,
Known twice by others gone,
And also, known by Heaven’s gates,
And once known by the dawn.
They fought, and won, but never got
To know triumph or ease,
For as they raced through the Belleau,
They fell among the trees.
For now, there only is a bit
Of taken memory,
Perhaps is found, by careful hands,
B
ehind a Belleau tree.
A new name for this battlefield,
Where guns on branches lean,
For those who fought so faithfully;
Brigade of the Marine.
These heroes gone, these soldiers left,
These adults and these teens,
These hounds of terror to the enemy,
These brave and strong Marines.
Hidden[]
This poem is about the Jews who were forced into hiding while the Nazis tried to find them and kill them, to rid the world of Jews. Please, set me free to fly above
The Sparrow and the Mourning Dove.
Undo the chains that hold me fast,
And make my freedom one to last.
I want to swim beneath the sea,
Teach me to swim, and swim with me.
If I could swim, it would be grand
To be on sea and gaze at land.
I long to breath the outside air,
And feel it blow right through my hair.
I wish to look upon the world,
To see how fate has been unfurled.
For now, Time is not known to me,
I’ve been made blind, I cannot see.
I cannot hear a car go by,
Or feel the purple, morning sky.
They took our star and made us lost,
Replaced it with a broken cross.
They took our honor, life, and rights,
Then brought their rage to greater heights.
To me, the world is nothing now.
How do I live? Will I know how?
I wish for something, something great,
Like freedom left unstained by hate.
The Vietnam Soldier[]
This poem is for the soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. In the War, their goal was to go to Vietnam, then get back alive after a year. It is considered the longest war that America has fought in, although no one ever declared war. A year of cold and misery,
Of horrors and of pain,
Beneath a sky gray from the clouds
Of never-ending rain,
Of terror coming from the air
Where helicopters soar,
A year of fear and raging storms,
A year of brutal war.
You volunteered to fight this fight,
You dodged the guns and knives,
You saved our country from distress,
You gave your very lives.
We honor you for all your strength,
Love, and humility,
We thank you for your service that
Has helped us all stay free.