Poppies & Roses
Submitted by: Ken Jackson
Category: Poetry
Dear Editors, I wrote this poem in honor of those who have passed on due to the effects of exposure to Agent Orange.
Poppies & Roses
Red poppies teem in Flanders Fields
A blanket o’er whose blood was shed
Mute testimony to shot and shell
War’s price was dear, men trod through Hell
And now lie together dead
Fresh Silver Roses dot the earth
Among those poppies somber red
They lent their silver to the bells
That tolled when e’er their bearers fell
And joined their brethren in their bed
by Ken Jackson, 7/03/2016
Vietnam Vet '66-'68 (Two tours)
Member, Legion of the Silver Rose - a group of veterans afflicted by the hidden but lasting effects of exposure to dioxin Agent Orange. They are the "bearers of the Silver Rose".
About the author:
I am a Vietnam Veteran of two tours covering three campaigns. I was with the 169th Combat Engineer Battalion in north Long Binh. I have been married for 47 years after meeting my future wife Andrea in Ft. Bliss, TX. I spent my post-Vietnam years as a Journeyman Linesman and built power lines for 30 years. The following 5 years I was a Power Systems Designer. I am now happily retired. I have two children, 8 grandchildren, and 3 rescue dogs. I live in Yorba Linda, CA.