my only poem that ever got recognized well enough to get published

Missing Man

A flag of white and black,
Woven from fields of cotton;
Bears as a plaque,
That you are not forgotten.

Through losses of the attack,
For Uncle Sam,
We wait for souls to come back,
From the jungles of Vietnam,

To the deserts of Afghanistan,
For freedom and honor you fight;
On the seas near Japan,
You are remembered by birthright.

You are the missing man.

You are a father, you are a son.
Seized for freedoms plight,
Unknown, taken by the barrel of a gun,
Americans waiting to reunite.

You are the man who fought for a nation,
You are a man who deserves an ovation,
You are part of this country’s foundation,
Hidden in an unknown location.

Missing in action, your memories survive,
Devoted lovers instill the hope;
Faith in your life remains alive,
As despair overwhelms, we try to cope.

You are the missing man.
Remembered by many, survived by few,
How our lives have changed,
Plans were faltered, thrown askew,
Partners have left, gone estranged.

But your life means so much,
To us, your family, and your comradeship,
The flag, the memorial to touch,
Your duty, still remains a flagship.


You are the martyr among men,
A vision to look to in times of need,
To describe your duty cannot even begin,
You are a faculty of life, truly indeed.

You are the missing man.

The only soldier called absent,
Your honor is the only decoration,
The dignity is self evident,
Karma will be your true vindication .

To this country, all the things you’ve given,
Your freedom, your life, the ultimate sacrifice;
That’s what keeps this country so driven,
Yet somehow, this flag seems to under price.

A simple cotton flag of black and white,
Bears the symbol of the missing man,
It doesn’t seem to be enough, not quite;
But simply, a flag is where it all began.

You, my comrade, are the missing man

Written June 19 2003

Todd W Anderson ©
I salute you.

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