Free Speech Poem by Louisa Lochrue

I am a soldier
Bleeding red, white and blue
I fight alongside the rest
The best
We do what we need to

I am a girl
I am only seven
My life was changed forever
On the day of nine- eleven
My dad was in the tower
I watched it crumble to the ground
Knowing he was inside
I watched my world tumble down

I am a wife
I am just a simple mother
Somebody’s confidant
His friend and lover
I won’t cry in front of the kids
I try to be strong
Each day without him
Stretches far too long
Every time I close my eyes
I see the smoke and hear the screams
I dread falling asleep
Because I relive it in my dreams
The day of nine-eleven
My heart broke never to be repaired
Half of me died in those towers
The love of my life was trapped in there

I am a woman
Iraqi by birth
Because of my government
I was never given worth
Me? I am an object
Here to be used for a man’s pleasure
To them I am only trash
To God I am a treasure
Rights? I have none
I am lower than a work horse
And if I refuse a man?
I am abused or forced
What they don’t seem to understand
Is underneath my heavy clothes
I have a mind, I am a PERSON
I have a spirit, and a soul
I am not an animal
Or a disposable plate
But because of where I was born
That will be my fate

These are only a few testimonies
Of those who don’t disapprove
Of the soldiers in Iraq
And what they are trying to do

Dear Feminist: Next time
You stand on a sidewalk
Protesting war in Iraq
For a second, I ask you, please stop
You complain about male chauvinists
Here in the U.S.A?
I challenge you to live by Iraqi rules
Just try it someday
And maybe when you’ve had enough
You won’t be too proud to plead
For an American soldier
To come and set you free

Dear Father: Take a minute
Before you rail against the fight
What if it was your little girl
Crying herself to sleep at night
Because of some evil men
She has no daddy to hug
In one dark fateful day
She was robbed of a father’s love
Now she is left sick and sad
With a mother struggling to get by
They can only cling to each other now
It’s all they can do just to survive
Would you want that for your family?
I didn’t really think so
But for too many, it DID happen
Not too long ago
And if THAT dad could speak
From beyond his ash-covered grave
He would scream out “Find them! Stop them! ”
Do whatever it takes!
Don’t let another mother
Weep for her lost love!
Don’t let another daughter
Wail for a daddy’s hug!

And if you still rail against our nation
Our soldiers, president, and cause
Maybe one day you will appreciate them
Hopefully not after all is lost

Dear soldier: keep on fighting
We are so proud of you
Dear president: don’t give up
We’ll all do what we need to
American citizen: don’t forget
Freedom is never free
Don’t grow tired, or complacent
Until everyone can be
Loosed from their bondage
With liberties like you and me.