"Who Replaced You?"

I’ve been writing poems ever since I returned from VN. Why? Beats me. They just show up in my head and I write. Some were written after I had a drink or two and I am sure I will never with the Nobel prize for literature and I almost never share them, I still write though rarely drink now. I thought I’d drop one off here. I suppose my poems are a way for me to express many things I’ve thought and felt about being in the U.S. Marine Corps and having spent ~13 months in VN; also, some poems described my experiences when I returned. Semper Fi!

Who Replaced You?

Who replaced you?
Yes, you.
You who didn’t want to serve,
said you were unfit, unhealthy,
Could not, in good conscience,
Put on a uniform and fight.
You believed in your right
To not go to war.
Who replaced you?
They said “Yes” and
Went and served.
Some died taking your place.
Some of you said they got what they deserved.
Others came home, were jeered,
Smeared and spit in their face.
Who replaced you?
What do you do now?
Are you living in these United States?
And those who went upheld their
Vow
To support the Constitution?
They fought and you did not.
They died and have you forgotten
That they took your place?
Do not talk to me.
You are an empty space
Which I have filled
With the life and face
Of he who replaced
You.