Once and for all

a soldier's song, unfinished
Story and photos by mike marcellino

No more ‘thank you’s,
No more memorial days,
No more salutes,
No more parades,
No more, if you please,
unless and until,
America gets it right,
soldiers' rights.

Our nation’s third century
Of GIs fighting, dying,
sticking their necks out for us,
Our way of life,
taking a hit, covering lethal charges,
save a brother’s life.

Too many body bag houses,
soldiers' homes for that the ones never coming back.
Too many wounds, terrible prices.
Too many in prison, and somehow locked up.
Too many in bodies, not spirits. Once 'n for all, get it right.

Stop starting wars for no reason,
by bad intent or the gravest mistake.
Man, like don't tell us to ‘take the hill’ when its suicide, same bloody ground we took the other day.
Starters, deciders, go fight.
Never again, send soldiers into battle, to fight,
lie wounded, coming home in disbelief, with wounds no eye can see.
Once 'n for all,
America, do your duty.




Copyright Mike Marcellino, 2009, Once and for all, a soldier's song, unfinished. Mike served in the United States Army as a combat correspondent and photojournalist in the Vietnam War. If you would like to listen to his recorded songs go to Split Pea/ce, www.myspace.com/splitpeace. More of his writing can be found on his Blog, Notebookwriter on Myspace as well as his Networked Blog, www.notebookwriter.blotspot.com