the valiant ones

so many graves
so many killed in combat
so many bullets
so many senseless tombstones
so much honor
to so many wars
so many monuments to victorious battles
to lost battles
to the generals
to the unknown soldier
to nameless tragedy
of bloodstained death

so much history of violence
so many widows
so many orphans
so much absence
pain
bitterness
so much collective death
so many orchestrated pardons.

and where are the monuments
to peace
to the men who fought against the war
to the deserters

where are the monuments
to the valiant ones
to the ones who said “no”
to the ones who looked for another way out

where is their story

where are the nameless bodies
the ardent cry
that recalls their struggle

where are their words
their ideas
their hope

so we could leave behind
so many graves
so many wars
so much grief
and so much anger.

where are they, the valiant ones?