Bluey Blog - Official Blog of Robert B. Bluey

Mike,

Thanks. I’m glad that you came home safely and hope that you don’t ever return—except as a tourist.

I should probably stay clear of commenting on this particular post. I’ve looked at it now for a couple of days and still feel the need to add my comment so here goes. I see Mike’s eyes in the picture and I tell myself he’s not killed anyone in war. No way do those eyes have the sadness one gets from killing. How can Mike’s eyes give this away… I can’t say for sure. Perhaps Mike has had to kill many. Maybe the eyes don’t tell us. Worse I think is if he’s been wounded in action and that’s why he did only 6 months rather than the 15. Honestly though, 6 months is nothing to sneeze at either. I’m happy Mike has made it home alive. My thing is I want all of them home alive. I want that now. I don’t want to wait 15 years. I want the perpetual war to end now. I found a song a few months ago that reminds me of the U.S. soldiers in Iraq. I’ll post the lyrics but please listen to it also (link at bottom of this comment). I’m not sure if the song writer (James Blunt)was talking about Iraq when he wrote it but it hit home for me once I heard it.

No Bravery by James Blunt

There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
Tears drying on their face.
He has been here.
Brothers lie in shallow graves.
Fathers lost without a trace.
A nation blind to their disgrace,
Since he’s been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

Houses burnt beyond repair.
The smell of death is in the air.
A woman weeping in despair says,
He has been here.
Tracer lighting up the sky.
It’s another families’ turn to die.
A child afraid to even cry out says,
He has been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
But no one asks the question why,
He has been here.
Old men kneel and accept their fate.
Wives and daughters cut and raped.
A generation drenched in hate.
Yes, he has been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3035829527824254331&q=james+blunt+i+see+no+bravery&total=18&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=8&hl=en