After All— A Poem at the Withdrawal of Troops from Afghanistan

After all the wars are over,

And all the battles won,

After all the blood’s been spilt

From here to kingdom come,

Do you think it really matters

In the larger scheme of things

That this nation took the prize

And that one got no rings?

So what if one endured longer,

Outlasting all their foes

While another bit the dust

And sooner tasted woes?

All empires rise and fall

Not a one endures forever

Every nation has a life span

Despite all plans and best endeavors.

After all the coffins come home

And all the mourners cry

And all the pyrrhic victories

Did you ever wonder why?

Perhaps it would be better

If we didn’t play war games

Perhaps we would be wiser

If we loved enemies just the same

Perhaps there’d be less carnage

Less sorrow and less loss

Perhaps there’d be less anger

Less suffering, less cost,

Perhaps one kingdom matters,

The one called kingdom come

The one that God alone can bring

The kingdom of his Son.

The kingdom of forgiveness

The kingdom of his love

The kingdom that brings salvation

That comes from God above.

Perhaps then we might more nearly

Follow the Father’s call

And be a bit more Christ-like…

After all.