Remembrance Poem by Les Littleford

The annual hand wringing
We don’t glorify war – but we do
We talk of ‘The Ultimate Sacrifice’
But sacrifice is voluntary
And Unlike most DIA s
The thin red line has always been maintained
By the prospect of flogging, white feather or firing squad
Selective language
Collateral damage, friendly fire, brutal attack, how do they differ?
Dachau, Abhus Gres, Guantanamo
Truth is the first, but not the only, casualty
Objectivity, honesty, freedom also
While old soldiers march together to the pub
To remember the friendships but not the horror
The laughs but not the tears
And our media prints similar rose coloured memories