Poetry project
By: Cole Hawkins
The Faded Uniform
If they could see the pain like a bright torch at the dead of night
He is taught to hide his anger and sorrow
He puts a false smile on his face
No one else sees
He feels no emotions, he's literature without meaning
Only the task at hand reminds him
Like touching a hot piece of metal, he remembers
No one else sees
Helping him is like scraping paint, there's always another layer
Live like you were dying they said, but he's already dead
No help comes, not even a flicker of kindness helps him
No one else sees
Rub some dirt in it an old man once said
Can it be that easy to let go of the pain?
So many questions fall on uncaring ears
No one else sees
The idea of coming home is like grabbing smoke with your hand
It's hard to see his family now, like a dream within a dream
It was so long ago, is it even real?
No one else sees
The grave stones that guard the dead with a saddening tone
His friends at the feet of Marines
The faith that they put in their nation is no more
No one else sees
He covers himself with another being
Because he knows he's not brave
His faith fades like his uniform
No one else sees
The Faded Uniform
If they could see the pain like a bright torch at the dead of night
He is taught to hide his anger and sorrow
He puts a false smile on his face
No one else sees
He feels no emotions, he's literature without meaning
Only the task at hand reminds him
Like touching a hot piece of metal, he remembers
No one else sees
Helping him is like scraping paint, there's always another layer
Live like you were dying they said, but he's already dead
No help comes, not even a flicker of kindness helps him
No one else sees
Rub some dirt in it an old man once said
Can it be that easy to let go of the pain?
So many questions fall on uncaring ears
No one else sees
The idea of coming home is like grabbing smoke with your hand
It's hard to see his family now, like a dream within a dream
It was so long ago, is it even real?
No one else sees
The grave stones that guard the dead with a saddening tone
His friends at the feet of Marines
The faith that they put in their nation is no more
No one else sees
He covers himself with another being
Because he knows he's not brave
His faith fades like his uniform
No one else sees
Cole Hawkins
I wrote this poem because of the personal connection I have with soldiers and when they come home they can’t forget the horrors they have faced. Because so many of my family members have served that I see the pain that they have to deal with. No one really knows how bad it really effects who they are it changes who they once were. In my poem where I say “No one else sees.” That sometimes the soldiers can’t talk about what they have seen in war so people can’t really understand what’s happened to them in war.
In writing this I wanted the reader to actually see and feel the emotion, for the person who is feeling these things and how they handle coming back to their families and friends how hard it for them. People try and help them forget and get on with their lives expect them to be happy that they served their country and be proud of the things they have done. I have seen this in my family members that served in the military. In my poem were its talking about scraping paint it’s true that there is always regret for what they did and the questions if what they did was right. That the questions they have are the problems and people can’t answer them.
Because the poem is not happy in the way that when a soldier comes home that there’s things that seeing his family can’t help and forgetting them is harder to do around their families and in the proses of them forgetting effects them more. Writing this poem with a more sad tone helping me get the point across.
I wrote this poem because of the personal connection I have with soldiers and when they come home they can’t forget the horrors they have faced. Because so many of my family members have served that I see the pain that they have to deal with. No one really knows how bad it really effects who they are it changes who they once were. In my poem where I say “No one else sees.” That sometimes the soldiers can’t talk about what they have seen in war so people can’t really understand what’s happened to them in war.
In writing this I wanted the reader to actually see and feel the emotion, for the person who is feeling these things and how they handle coming back to their families and friends how hard it for them. People try and help them forget and get on with their lives expect them to be happy that they served their country and be proud of the things they have done. I have seen this in my family members that served in the military. In my poem were its talking about scraping paint it’s true that there is always regret for what they did and the questions if what they did was right. That the questions they have are the problems and people can’t answer them.
Because the poem is not happy in the way that when a soldier comes home that there’s things that seeing his family can’t help and forgetting them is harder to do around their families and in the proses of them forgetting effects them more. Writing this poem with a more sad tone helping me get the point across.