Unknown Soldiers



Unknown Soldiers
by Maxwell "Max" Sebastian Burchett

One Memorial Day made me consider
The many tombs to unknown soldiers,
In memoriam to the lost
From wars then and now,
Unnamed ghosts.

Is memory of all without any names,
The memory of none?
Surely the names were known to some,
All missed and mourned by a loved one.
All had mothers with pain and grief unknown.

Those who fought for some cause,
Maybe not theirs,
Still paid the price with their lives,
In near and distant wars,
Extinguished in fire.

I know enough of hate,
Of powers’ desire,
To know wars will consume
Without any end
More names for the unknown tomb.

About this poem

"Unknown Soldiers" is a poem by Max Burchett that reflects on the collective sacrifice and memory of countless unnamed soldiers who gave their lives in wars throughout history. The poem is inspired by a Memorial Day experience that prompts the speaker to contemplate the countless tombs honoring those whose names remain unknown. The poem delves into the profound and often overlooked impact of war on those who are not distinguished by names, but rather remembered as "unnamed ghosts. " The absence of names does not diminish their significance; instead, it highlights the universality of loss and grief experienced by families and loved ones who mourn the fallen soldiers. 

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Written on May 31, 2023

Submitted by MaxwellBurchett on July 30, 2023

Modified by MaxwellBurchett on October 17, 2023

39 sec read
1,754

Quick analysis:

Scheme AX BAXXX XCXCX XXXXB XBDXD
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 625
Words 131
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 2, 5, 5, 5, 5

Maxwell Sebastian Burchett

Maxwell "Max" Sebastian Burchett is president of the charity Golden Hearts that provides support to Ukrainian war refugees. He originated the "Good Day" concept and is leading the campaign to establish "Good Day" as a designated day, nationally recognized as "a day for doing a little extra good." Max is a singer-songwriter from Dallas, Texas. His poems "Until Then" and "I Dream" have been used as lyrics in pop songs of the same names (https://soundcloud.com/maxburchett/i-dream). His music and writing were featured on UK Talk Radio and on their website (https://uktalkradio.org/max-burchett-dog-days/). His writing interests include fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Most recently Max has included in his poetry and non-fiction publications themes developed from his work with Ukrainian war refugees. His poetry style has been influenced by the greats, including Frost, Elliot, Poe and Whitman. Max's short story “Covid Love” was featured in the July 2023, 111th issue of 34thParallel Magazine (https://www.34thparallel.net/34mag-111.html) and his "New Frontiers" poetry trilogy was featured in the October 2023 issue of INTERALIA Magazine (https://www.interaliamag.org/poetry/maxwell-sebastian-burchett-poems/). His romance mystery novel on post-Putin Russia “Red Star Rising” is releasing as serial episodes on Kindle and an anthology of his poems will be released later this year. and an anthology of his poems will be released later this year. Max's poems "Me to You" and "Three Whispered Words" are included in the anthology 'Is there Ever an End' published in November 2023 (https://www.amazon.com/There-Ever-End-Various/dp/B0CNZKNSN7). Max Burchett and his brother started delivering food and letters of encouragement to staff at local hospitals during covid, and that grew into the charity Golden Hearts. After covid the charity’s efforts were refocused on helping Ukrainian war refugees, and the homeless, who are basically refugees in their own country. His observations from work with war refugees and the homeless have led him to write stories and songs that attempt to convey the situation to a broader audience. more…

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