Where are they going?

 

The Korean War Memorial is different than the others in that the men are in action.

Instead of fighting an enemy or erecting a flag they are seen in battle gear.

And on maneuvers through dangerous territory.

It is a marvel that any group of men ever returned home at all.

From any war, the American war, the French and Indian war or the Civil war.

Or the ones fought on foreign soil with amount of carnage.

Instead in the modern era, and after two world wars

America chose to send men to Asia.

Before there was Vietnam and the protests of the hippies.

There was the Korean war fought on the other side of the Pacific.

America has fought China and then Japan, now Korea and Vietnam.

All just the other side of the California.

One might think they would be afraid of their nearest foreign neighbors.

Whie Canada and Mexico and even Cuba have been at war with America.

It is Europe that they were called to battle for the sake of England.

But where are these meant going?

They are on patrol some say when they stand and watch them.

Each one is a different person, not the same generic face.

Each one represents a different soul who fought 

And they are fashioned after specific men

In fact, it was a special group that was chosen.

They were actually on a special mission that day.

Only the President knows where and why.

But it was captured somehow by the media.

Each soldier represents a specific person 

As he fulfills a specific purpose in this case.

Too often war has robots running around

While a puppet is held by strings to places

That no one knows

And all the generals do is wave the magic wands

In the air, and magically a battle ensures

To the great relieve of the guys at home

While the local families and pedestrians 

Get caught in the shuffle

War is war and is fought on all grounds

As long as the end result is the final victory

I wonder who many have gone down to the memorial

And looked at the faces, really looked at those faces.

Have they ever seen those men again?

In the past, celebrities took their part

In excursions through forests 

And rescue attempts as well as deliveries 

But then there are those who end up 

Sleeping on park benches if they can still find one

While others manage to go home to their family

If they still have a family or a home to go home

Most people forget how often Europe

Has battled and fought for their rights to the land

Upon which they sit but do not own

For the most part they are squatters

Who were allowed to stay put

After the Crusades and the plague 

Ran through most of the originals

But they have to rebuild every so often

Those people who war comes to on a regular basis

Even London and Berlin have had to rebuild

Only Russia itself has been immune

They have had a few sieges since 

The days of Attila the Hun

And the Kievan brothers

Saint Petersburg was never really 

Thiers to build upon but they did it anyways.

Moscow has been burnt down so many times

It is a wonder that anyone remembers what it looked like

As for the border land, they have always had problems

But never have they had a reason to rebuild

Until now, of course,

With the spoiled younger generation 

Not wanting to give up anything

Nor pay for anything

Always expecting others to foot, the bill

And then complain about the mess

Who is going to clean this mess up?

And what are we going to do?

They want all those new buildings

They just don't want to say so

After all who wants to be quaint

Old historic place anyways

All it does is attract tourist

They want to look like everyone

Else with those stupid suicide towers

Must be causing quite a splash

The new guy has invented 

A new way of getting a new town built

They will be having parties and dances

Once it is all over

And it is all going to be paid for by someone else.

Not them, not their fault

With their fingers crossed behind their backs.

No way are they taking the blame nor are they going to apologize.

Just wanted a new hat, dress and shoes 

To show off on the promenade

Wherever one will admire them.

Meanwhile, those men had a place to go

But nowhere to return

In America, no one guarantees

Your family property won't be stolen

Or the bank won't print themselves 

A title to the place

Or even the church deciding

To own the residence 

While the men were gone

But where did the women go?

If they were lucky, they went to work

Otherwise, they will be standing on the side of the road

When the big important men 

Go by with a parade 

And wonder if they are remembered

Women are never told the truth

They acquire children they did not give birth

And husbands they did not marry

And all of them just want to know

Every little thing that you know

Your wallet is theirs to possess

And then they will even show up 

And complain about you spending thier money

Or steal your food stamps 

Anyways those men who did make it home

Had a lot of difficulty dealing with the aftermath

Of having left his own home unattended

As if he left the door wide open 

You might say and allowed 

In all sorts of swindlers, and squatters

My little sister and i were left with nothing at all

After it was discovered that our father

Was not at home for a few years

The women went on and paid 

The bills and the taxes

But it did not matter he was not at home

While he was gone others 

Decided to build upon his land

There is a park downtown

It was once the last homestead

They wagon trained all the way to the coast

After already having snuck around by boat

But it had to be by overland

In order to gain the same piece of property

Of course, it was not the same one they came back

But anyway, the wagon was there

And a portside landing and an old house

With a barn and even a small Russian church

They had already made it by boat 

But had to come back by land

And their descendant was not given the right 

To own this small section next to the railroad

They were forcibly removed

The house moved to another location

The church razed to the ground

And the children disbanded

The boys were allowed to believe 

The last section next to the bay

Was theirs to play with 

All they had to collect

Were the ferry fees and fishing licenses

Now there is a fancy Hornblower

Who thinks they even own the old ferry boat

And the fishing spot has a new symphony theater

While down the block 

Where they put all the old train depots

Into a quaint looking village

As well as the old barn and schoolhouse

Into a shopping center

There are now talking about 

Tearing it down and erecting 

Some of those terrifying suicide towers

While the little park has had its water park

Destroyed and some play set has been erected

On the very spot where the old tiny Russian church

Once sat caring for the needs of the original owners

Who died waiting for their government to do something

Thier descendants are still waiting as well

While watching a small fishing village 

Turn itself into a disgusting brothel

With casinos and discos

For everyone who does not stay

Nor work nor go to wr

While the Navy is across the bay

They are not aware of the story

Of two small girls dumped 

At the new brass city marker

Indicating important spot

While the rest of the town 

Has gone to hell

Soon that marker will be gone as well

No one remembers any more 

What the town was before the big boys 

From the crime caves 

And swindling schools

And pansy pants 

This town will also be coming down

One day, the first big quake

And all those glass windows

Will be littering the streets

While the twisted metal towers

Will be toppled on top of each other

Then there is the expected Tsunami

Any day now there will be one

Or maybe the local volcano will erupt

There is a volcano in the valley

Maybe Mr. Kim will accidently

Extend his missle test

To land on the US navy back door

A city built on sand and marsh

Will not stand no matter who much

Concrete and steal it uses

While only one of the girls survived

Protecting the other from the harms

Of the world, while watching

The father who had endured 

A foreign land excursion

After living through his uncle's Pacific navy

And his father's important laboratory work

And after his own mother died too young

He was left with nothing 

At first they did not tell him that

They just kept torturring him

About everything and stooled his wife

Making her believe he had done something wrong

Instead of remaining loyal to his country

While on the other side of the world

Russia has finally done what 

Everyone else has already done

Made themselves a hero out of a comic

And torched the hero who kept them from war

All for a new suit of clothes called skyscrappers.....