THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

 


Poem by Dominic Kariuki Njumbi*


The Unknown Soldier

War broke out, and all were called to fight.
Young and naïve he stood,
Fear tightening around his tender throat—
Yet patriotism spoke louder.
Thus marched the unknown soldier.

“Why must peace be born of war?”
He wondered,
His plea falling on deadened ears.
“March!” — that was the order.
And so he fought without understanding,
The unknown soldier.

He gave his blood, his sweat, his all,
Yet no one ever knew his name.
Fate turned its face away—
The enemy claimed him,
And they called him
The unknown soldier.

The old declare the war,
The young go forth and die.
And when peace finally dawns,
Those who bore its cost
Are remembered only as
The unknown soldiers.

* Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Public Health. He can be contacted at: 0706304671.


Comments

  1. GannettNovember 25, 2025 at 10:35 PM

    Wow. The best anti-war poem I have ever read. The poem is poignant and calls out the usage of the youth as cannon fodder.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 25, 2025 at 11:03 PM

    I was struck by the poems strong, subtle critique of young youth as mere wartime expendables. It clearly captures the senseless waste of life that war entails. Kudos Mr.Dom

    ReplyDelete

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