Beckett: Poetry – No. 850, Army Values

This poem is based on the Army Values in the acronym LDRSHIP (leadership), each respective letter given in bold. I wrote this whilst I was a soldier in the Army. In the poem, I don’t list them all in complete order. During basic training, we had to memorise the acronym and the definition of each value, which I build on in each stanza. I placed “honour” at the end of the poem because I believe honour is the foundation of all these values.

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We bear true faith
to our fellow soldiers, —
fighting for the same purpose,
loyal to our great Constitution.

We fulfil our obligations
so our families may continue
what they do whilst we fight,
prideful in our duties.

We treat each other as we should,
for without steadfastness we fail;
and with failure we lose our freedom,
so we respect one another.

We put the welfare
of the nation before our own,
not considering our own well-being, —
a disciplinary selfless service.

We strive to follow
our loyal obligations,
compiling our morals, —
integrity necessitating our values.

We set aside our fears
in the face of danger, fear,
and other adversities, —
growing in our personal courage.

Above all our necessities
comes the performance
of all our moral values,
and we gain honour for our country.