saving the world

i'm looking for feedback and community:

Solidarity, Lech Walesa, Poland

unity

in this terrible hour

in this time when peaceful co-existence is imperiled 

in the face of a terrible menace

don't guess 

which way to turn!  

a group is waiting for you

to add your strength and your courage and hope...

yes, hope is not hopeless.

the saying 'Don't tread on me'

is really saying don't tread on us.

years ago,  i left my fellow Team 95 comrades;

it was simply another hot, dusty day in South Vietnam,

early 1970 and i remember it well...leaving hell

some said, and wished me well

others said don't forget us

tell everyone what you've seen, what you heard 

spread the word

of truth when back in the land of the big PX

in the land of the beautiful round eye

apple pie

and i boarded my freedom bird

heard the relieved cheers

saw tears 

and i went to march in the street

beat

the drums

sound the alarm

i felt that we had done so much harm

here to ourselves and to the people of that foreign land

and so,

and so

i drove to foot march the streets of Washington, DC

near the mall and the monument

where i was surrounded by thousands of American people

protesting as we could the continuation of a faraway

war

and many of our signs said STOP THE WAR

but there was more.

what we were saying was 

listen to the citizen speak,

the voters must have a voice

we deserve a choice!

we will not be shut out 

we will shout

we will persist

we will resist 

and i continually felt the presence of my fellow soldiers 

those left behind in Vietnam 

from where they watched

behind their sandbags and their towers

and their armored vests 

i heard them urge us all to do more

not only to STOP THE WAR,

to stop the insanity. 

a rushing wind blew and i knew 

we needed to find new words,

new messages,

new heralds who will take up the torch

carry it into any looming darkness

with nothing less to do than

saving the world...saving the world.

and so,

we are now here. 

we will resist together.