The War Before My Father’s War
For poppy’s prompts #7
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,fl_progressive,q_auto,w_1024/66872e760d4d78001d5c7124.jpg)
At 75 miles an hour
It’s just another sign on the highway
The 38th Parallel
Stirring the barest hint of a memory
A tiny picture of a serpentine river
Less than a page in my history book
No words in bold about bold actions
Young men dying
For the fall of communism
Young men dying
For the triumph of communism
Later, recycled phrases
Below the newspaper fold
About an invisible line
Striking a patriotic chord
As loud as they can
To cover a melody of pain
Sung by fewer and fewer every year
Drowned out by the newest compositions
For some,
That line defined them
For me,
It’s the war before my father’s war
And another sign on the highway
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Materials to watch if you grew up as ignorant of the Korean War as me:
About the Creator
Shaun Walters
A happy guy that tends to write a little cynically. Just my way of dealing with the world outside my joyous little bubble.
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Comments (2)
Excellent piece using Poppy’s Prompts.
This is a powerful piece! Incredible work, Shaun! My father was in Vietnam so this resonated