I Never Raised My Son To Be A Soldier Author:David Mcdonald The second of David's poetry Trilogy "I NEVER RAISED MY SON TO BE A SOLDIER" continues a hard and honest look at military life for those who deploy to conflict. David portrays his own emotions in some highly crafted pieces which allow the reader, to flex their own 'emotion centres'. He gives credence to the 'realities' of War which most fail to ... more »fully engage with.David lays his soul bare, it is sometimes uncomfortable, yet very compulsive reading and a rollercoaster of emotions and very humbling. Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers Favorite
"I Never Raised my Son to be a Soldier" is a collection of poems that reflect the thoughts of war veterans and anyone associated with the persons serving the country in times of war. The theme is consistent with the publicized image of the war veteran. Many of the poems are touching, but there are those that are brutally cruel in their depiction of government treatment of war veterans. Not all of the poems follow a set rhyme scheme, but those that do are reminiscent of famous Victorian poets and are quite readable. The poet definitely shares his view of the government's role in eliminating the innocence. It provides a better primary source and insight into the reality of what that means.
The author suggests that being a soldier is a last resort when we fail to perform our best in school. I understand that serving in war probably results in the adoption of a bitter attitude, but I am afraid that the poet's negativity may be harsher than necessary. Of course, those are the words of a naive citizen, protected from the ravages of war (and glad of it). "The Orchestra" is my favorite of all the poems because of its strong metaphor. "What is Happening" is a powerful poetic narrative that describes the effects of sustaining a wound in battle. "Evil Sat and Planned All Day" reminds me of Emily Dickinson and her famous use of personification. "The Recruitment" makes me think of what I've read about Nazi propaganda during WWII when concentration camps were advertised as pleasant family retreats. Above all else, these poems were disturbing and thought provoking and, honestly, I feel unworthy of providing an adequate review of these very personal emotions.« less