War Poems | Poemist

Popular War Poems

War Is Never Over

by Cecil L. Harrison

War is never over
Thought the treaties may be signed
The memories of the battles
Are forever in our minds

War is never over
So when you welcome heroes home
Remember in their minds they hold
Memories known to them alone

......

In Spite Of War

by Angela Morgan

In spite of war, in spite of death,
In spite of all man's sufferings,
Something within me laughs and sings
And I must praise with all my breath.
In spite of war, in spite of hate
Lilacs are blooming at my gate,
Tulips are tripping down the path
In spite of war, in spite of wrath.
"Courage!" the morning-glory saith;
"Rejoice!" the daisy murmureth,

......

Boots

by Rudyard Kipling

INFANTRY COLUMNS

We're foot--slog--slog--slog--sloggin' over Africa --
Foot--foot--foot--foot--sloggin' over Africa --
(Boots--boots--boots--boots--movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Seven--six--eleven--five--nine-an'-tw enty mile to-day --
Four--eleven--seventeen--thirty-two the day before --
(Boots--boots--boots--boots--movin' up an' down again!)

......

On Living

by Nâzım Hikmet

I

Living is no laughing matter:
you must live with great seriousness
like a squirrel, for example--
I mean without looking for something beyond and above living,
I mean living must be your whole occupation.
Living is no laughing matter:
you must take it seriously,
so much so and to such a degree

......

Aftermath

by Siegfried Sassoon

Have you forgotten yet?...
For the world's events have rumbled on since those gagged days,
Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways:
And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow
Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you're a man reprieved to go,
Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare.
But the past is just the same--and War's a bloody game...
Have you forgotten yet?...
Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you'll never forget.

......

Recent War Poems

Soldier 02

by Mario Odekerken

In the quiet of dawn,
a soldier stands,
the weight of duty
etched on his brow.

He carries the stories
of distant lands,
the echoes of sacrifice
in every heartbeat.

......

Soldier

by Mario Odekerken

In the quiet of dawn,
a soldier stands,
the weight of duty
etched on his brow.

He carries the stories
of distant lands,
the echoes of sacrifice
in every heartbeat.

......

War and Hell at Par

by mv venkataraman

Wars make devils
Men have become
Love and peace,
But, men deny Him a
-
Blood, blood, and
Devil is clever with a
Body and soul, wars
Dear God, let wars
-

......

Speechless

by Michael R. Burch

We are left speechless by man's inhumanity to man. This collection includes poems about the Holocaust, Auschwitz, Gaza and the Palestinian Nakba ("Catastrophe"), Hiroshima, 9-11, war, and other forms of human violence...

Speechless
by Ko Un
translation by Michael R. Burch

At Auschwitz
piles of glasses

......

Holy War

by Bryan Burkevics

Searing blades full of thunder,
Helping tear the world asunder,
Bleeding truth of guile and fear,
Raucous voices emit a cheer.

Bring again the word of dark,
Preying demons soon embark,
Stalk the innocent, selfless lives,
As light must flee so darkness thrives.

......