Following is a poem by “RadioRon” Stelse, titled: “Bullets and Bravery.”
The poem, Stelse said, was written in 2017, and has been read aloud during Fort Atkinson Fourth of July-related events.
An abridged version of the poem is below. A video of Stelse reading the poem in 2021 during an “American Patriotic Pops” concert held in Barrie Park also is found below.
Bullets and Bravery
I held a wooden gun in my hands today
It had a very unnerving feel
that’s as close as I can come to killing
and soldier, your gun is made of steel.
So when bullets are flying and buddies are dying
please know we will not forget
the green recruit, the gritty soldier
and of course, the all American vet.
and when it comes to bullets
not all of us are brave
since we can’t be there and you can’t be here
then soldier, it’s our lives you save.
and if the Reaper shows his face
then make a ‘V’ sign as your reminder
that what you did today
makes the world a little kinder.
so do we cry and weep
and care if one of you departs?
the answer is proven with every beat
of our freedom-loving hearts.
The “American Patriotic Pops,” Fort Atkinson Community Band performs before an audience of about 100 people in Fort Atkinson’s Barrie Park. The program, held July 5, 2021, included a potpourri of patriotic songs, selections by American composers and a poem titled “Bullets & Bravery,” written by Fort Atkinson’s “Radio Ron” Stelse. File/Ashley McDarison videographer.
Ron “RadiorRon: Stelse reads his poem Bullets and Bravery before an audience in Barrie Park in 2021. File photo/Kim McDarison.
An honor guard retreats following a reading of Bullets and Bravery during a Pops Concert in Barrie Park in 2021. Screenshot photo.
Ron “RadioRon” Stelse worked within the radio industry for 45 years, including three years spent reading for the blind. He also worked with computers, from mainframes to PCs, and has taught a bit of tennis. He enjoys computer chess, watching public TV, and working on audio projects. He has written over 600 poems. RadioRon is a resident of Fort Atkinson. File photo/Kim McDarison.
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