THE FINAL INSPECTION

A great poem for Memorial Day. For the record a Marine is not a Soldier.

THE SOLDIER STOOD AND FACED HIS GOD

WHICH MUST ALWAYS COME TO PASS
HE HOPED HIS SHOES WERE SHINING
JUST AS BRIGHTLY AS HIS BRASS

"STEP FORWARD NOW YOU SOLDIER,
HOW SHALL I DEAL WITH YOU?
HAVE YOU ALWAYS TURNED TO OTHER CHEEK?
TO MY CHURCH HAVE YOU BEEN TRUE?"

THE SOLDIER SQUARED HIS SHOULDERS AND SAID
"NO, LORD I GUESS I AINT
BUT THOSE OF US WHO CARRY GUNS,
CANT ALWAYS BE A SAINT

I'VE HAD TO WORK MOST SUNDAYS,
AND AT TIMES MY TALK IS TOUGH
AND SOMETIMES IVE BEEN VIOLENT
BECAUSE THE WORLD IS AWFULLY ROUGH

BUT I NEVER TOOK A PENNY
THAT WASN'T MINE TO KEEP
THOUGH I WORKED ALOT OF OVER TIME
WHEN BILLS GOT JUST TOO STEEP

AND I NEVER PASSED A CRY FOR HELP
THOUGH AT TIMES I SHOOK WITH FEAR.
AND SOMETIMES GOD FORGIVE ME
IVE WEPT UNMANLY TEARS

I KNOW I DONT DESERVE A PLACE
AMONG THESE PEOPLE HERE
THEY NEVER WANTED ME AROUND
EXCEPT TO CALM THEIR FEARS

IF YOU'VE A PLACE HERE, LORD
IT NEEDN'T BE SO GRAND,
I NEVER EXPECTED OR HAD TOO MUCH
BUT IF YOU DONT IL UNDERSTAND

THERE WAS A SILENCE ALL AROUND THE THRONE
WHERE THE SAINTS HAD OFTEN TROD
AS THE SOLDIER WAITED QUIETLY
FOR THE JUDGMENT OF HIS GOD

"STEP FORWARD NOW, YOU SOLDIER
YOU'VE BORNE YOUR BURDENS WELL
WALK PEACEFULLY IN HEAVENS STREETS
YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME IN HELL."