"The Dead Are Best for War (A Soldier's Guide to Survival)"
By Tom Carnes
The dead are best for war
No not Zombies, Ghosts or Ghouls
But Soldiers, dead and gone: gone to war
The dead are best for war
War is no place for the living
For vibrant colors that laugh loudly full of life
For soft clouds, lazy on blue blankets
War is no place for such things, such people
The dead are best for war
Harden your heart till it stops beating; to fight
Hope that it softens when you return
To the soft rays of welcoming light
The dead are best for war
Die before you go, so you may live whence you return
Or sleep no more forever
Thomas "Tom" J. Carnes III (he/him), a La Vernia, Texas resident, serves as a dedicated Criminal Justice Teacher at Madison High School in San Antonio, where he imparts valuable knowledge to high school students and mentors youth. With a rich and varied military background, he was commissioned as an officer in the Army National Guard and deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Thomas found inspiration for his poetic endeavors, channeling his transformative experiences into creative expression.
What’s happening at VetRep…
VetRep is proud to present Michael Frayn’s “Chinamen” for one final performance on December 9th. This legendary British farce has five characters and only two actors, and you won’t want to miss the final, hilarious performances of the season. We have enjoyed sold out shows all year, and while there are worse problems we could have, we encourage you to get your tickets to “Chinamen” before they disappear!
Join us for the December 7th performance of War Words with New York Rep!
War Words is a Pulitzer Prize nominated docu-play in the words of the men and women who served in the U.S. Military during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, based on the playwright’s interviews with veterans of the 20-year Long War and their families. You can get discounted tickets to the December 7 performance – where VetRep will be hosting a post-show talkbalk - just use the code VETREP07 at checkout.
Our Acting for Beginners class is now being offered weekly every Saturday from 10am-12pm. Scholarships for qualifying veterans, as well as multi-class passes are available. Registration details can be found here.