A poem by Alan Dugan
Because of the unaccountable spirit of the troops
oh we were marched as we were never marched before
and flanked them off from home. Stupid Meade
was after them, head on to tail, but we convinced
him, finally, to flank, flank, cut off their head.
He finally understood, the idiot, and got a fort
named after him, for wisdom. He probably thought
Lee would conquer Washington from Appomattox
if he, Meade, should march his infantry behind
him, Lee. Ah well, the unaccountable spirit of the troops
triumphed, Meade got his fort, Grant got his presidency,
Sherman got his motto, what was it? War is heck?, Lee got a military school
for the education of young Southern gentlemen, and the Union
Army was taken over by Southern noncommissioned officers
in the wars against the Indians to the west. I know all
about this, I know who won, I served under them
for three hundred and fifty years in World War II,
just long enough not to be called a rookie but a veteran,
and realized the rank and order of my enemies:
first, the West Point officers; second, the red-neck sergeants;
third, the Nazis and perhaps the Japanese. I won
all of these wars as a private soldier, for a while,
and am happy to have done so: without me
Hitler and Hirohito would he ruling the world
instead of America and Russia, but I still will not
drive through Georgia with New York license plates.

A few random poems:
- If I To You But Sorry Bring poem – Alfred Austin
- Zellen Woone’s Honey To Buy Zome’hat Sweet by William Barnes
- The Boston Athenaeum poem – Amy Lowell poems | Poems and Poetry
- Николай Карамзин – К Лиле
- Books And Thoughts poem – Aldous Huxley poems | Poetry Monster
- The Pet-Lamb by William Wordsworth
- Joy of giving by Vinaya Kumar Hanumanthappa
- One of the Lives by W. S. Merwin
- Николай Заболоцкий – Ласточка
- The Fruit Garden Path poem – Amy Lowell poems | Poems and Poetry
- Words Of Advice by Ronald G. Auguste
- Speaking To You (From Rock Bottom) by Michael Ondaatje
- For The Future by Wendell Berry
- Stacking The Straw poem – Amy Clampitt poems | Poems and Poetry
- Aftershock by William Marr
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
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Poems in English
- Today by Satish Verma
- TIRELESSLY by Satish Verma
- THE WHEELS by Satish Verma
- THE WAX PALACE by Satish Verma
- THE WARS by Satish Verma
- THE MOSAIC by Satish Verma
- The Fall by Satish Verma
- That Is by Satish Verma
- Tall Claims by Satish Verma
- Taking On by Satish Verma
- Taking Off by Satish Verma
- SURVIVAL by Satish Verma
- STUNNED by Satish Verma
- STRIPED NOTHINGS by Satish Verma
- Stray Colors by Satish Verma
- STRANGE HAPPENINGS by Satish Verma
- STONEWASHED by Satish Verma
- STEPPING OUT by Satish Verma
- SOVEREIGNTY by Satish Verma
- Song Of Unquiet Spirit by Satish Verma
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Alan Dugan (1923 – 2003) an American poet, a contemporary classic of American poetry.