Forgotten Tragedies

In Memory: Nameless faces & Old Soldiers

Can a soldier be forgiven, for the death which comes his way?
Can the savagery of his nature, be tamed to some degree

Can the horrors one sees in war, be a figment of a dream
Or does it go on enticing one's soul, in the bitterness one displays

Thus creating a shadow of despair, in the hallows of an empty heart
Compounding the memories of forgotten tragedies, one tries so hard to ignore


Even after forty years, the pain remains so clear
I see the faces of the nameless, I recall their tearful gaze

They come in the middle of my night, no pity can I expect
In a fantasy of a cause, I still don't understand

For the souls of those who perished, in a jungle of no regret
Leaves an empty feeling, I would rather soon forget

So my life will continue onwards
Nothing I can do, to exempt the wrongful sins

But pray for God and those nameless faces
To release this pain from me

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
April 08, 2008

Author's Note:
40th Anniversary of the My lai Massacre
3-16-68