JUST A COMMON SOLDIER

(A Soldier Died Today)

by A. Lawrence Vaincourt

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,

And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,

In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.

And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,

All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,

And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.

He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,

For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.

Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,

And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,

While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?

A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.

It's so easy to forget them for it was so long ago,
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,
Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

I have always why wondered why generals always get the credit for a successful military campaign when the soldiers did all the fighting, killing and dying. And when an operation is botched, the lamplight always turns on those who executed an otherwise "perfect plan". It's not right.

And politicians? You should see Filipino politicians to understand why the Philippines is still in a rut. The devils don't care what happens to the country. The author of this very poignant poem should have included the generals who don't care about their men. It's not fair.

The MRT on a very lean day. It can be a
cattle train during rush-hour.

Time travel?

What a difference 15 minutes makes. Yesterday, I left the house at around 7:15 a.m. and i logged on at the office exactly fourty-five minutes later, to think that I had to travel all the way from Quezon City to Ayala Avenue. Thank God for the MRT!!! My ride went smoothly. The train was just rolling in when I stepped on the platform of the ultracool LRT Line 2. At the MRT 3 Cubao station, the crowd was still thin and I got on the first train. After disembarking at Buendia, there was a bus waiting for me and traffic was light all the way to Ayala. I thank the Heavens for a very hassle-free ride!
Today, I took off at around 7:15 a.m. and I got into the office a quarter before 9 a.m. can you imagine what that? First, I had to wait for five minutes at a LRT Line 2 station. Then, at Cubao, the guards stopped people bound for souther Metro Manila (e.g., Makati, Ortigas, Pasay City), because the platform was already full. So, I quickly decided to take a ride at the North EDSA station, so the guards let me in. At North EDSA, I had to wait for another jampacked trip. and then, the buses in Buendia were bursting with passengers, so I had to squeeze my lean body inside because the only alternative was to bake my body in the scorching summer sun. And the lines to the elevators was long, so I had to wait for a few more minutes. Damn it!! If only I went out earlier, I would have been spared from a rush-hour ordeal.