HOME OF THE BRAVE

by Official 1SP

featured in his third book,

'Act Like You Know III: Verdict / Variorums'

https://amzn.to/3bT8msk

I'm here walking on the railroad in the slum

Looking around at just what we've become,

People killed in the name of the Almighty Dollar,

After we created the middle-class and blue collar.

A nation of liberty

Yeah, a nation built on trust,

A nation for you and me,

That loves others just like us.

We all prayed for a day,

We can finally say

That we really stay

In the Home of the Brave...

The Home of the Brave.

Nights awake sweating cold with all this grief

Because I saw so many slain in war overseas;

Tears of a man seeking an enduring haven to refuge

A haven where a troubled soul is no longer abused.

A nation of liberty

Yeah, a nation built on trust,

A nation for you and me,

That loves others just like us.

We all prayed for a day,

We can finally say

That we really stay

In the Home of the Brave...

The Home of the Brave.

Ⓒ Official 1SP

A poem HOME OF THE BRAVE by 1SP is a powerful critique of American society, contrasting the idealized national self-image with the grim realities of poverty, materialism, social division, and the human cost of conflict.

Explanation

The poem explores the following key themes and elements:

Social Critique and Inequality:

Official 1SP juxtaposes the American ideal with the reality of "walking on the railroad in the slum," highlighting pervasive poverty and inequality. The lines "People killed in the name of the Almighty Dollar" criticize materialism and greed as driving forces behind societal decay and conflict, while the mention of the "middle-class and blue collar" points to internal social divisions.

Juxtaposition of Ideals vs. Reality:

The recurring refrain, a variation of the national anthem's "Home of the Brave," is used ironically. The description of America as a "nation of liberty," "built on trust," and one that "loves others just like us" contrasts sharply with the harsh reality presented in the rest of the poem. Official 1SP is searching for a day when these ideals truly represent the nation.

The Psychological Toll of War:

The second stanza shifts to the impact of war, describing a person who is "awake sweating cold with all this grief" after witnessing "so many slain in war overseas." This emphasizes the lasting trauma and human suffering caused by military conflict, further questioning the "bravery" and "haven" the nation claims to be.

Tone and Emotion:

The poem's tone is one of lament, anger, despair, and a longing for a better, more just reality. It conveys raw emotion and a powerful sense of disillusionment with the current state of affairs.

Call for a True Haven:

The "tears of a man seeking an enduring haven to refuge" highlights the universal human need for a safe and just place, which the current "Home of the Brave" fails to provide for all its people. The repetition of the chorus at the end serves to underline this ongoing, unfulfilled desire for the nation to live up to its stated principles.

LET THIS FIREPLACE HIT HOME

by Official 1SP

featured in his literary debut,

'Act Like You Know: Pretrial + Poems'

https://amzn.to/49NtqvY

Let me start by taking off of your shoes,

You've been working so hard, your feet bruised,

Just long to soak your feet and rub your toes,

If we could, let us take off all these clothes.

The heat is blowing,

And the fireplace hits home.

I got nothing but time for you,

Ready to pamper you for things you do;

I do not have a fetish for feet,

But your ankles seem sore this week.

This week it's snowing,

And the fireplace hits home.

So let me have your feet, toes and all,

I can start with a rub, and soak to thaw

In this water so warm, fit for queens

And end it with the kiss of your dreams.

So come on with a towel,

And let this fireplace hit home.

Baby, my chimney is smoking

But you cannot get warm

If your heart is still broken

From damage that came with an ex's charm.

The poem "LET THIS FIREPLACE HIT HOME" by 1SP is an intimate, sensual poem that uses the imagery of a warm fireplace on a cold, snowy day to explore themes of comfort, care, and emotional healing in a relationship. Official 1SP offers physical solace to his partner while also addressing deeper emotional wounds from a past relationship.

Major Themes

Comfort and Care:

The central theme is Official 1SP's desire to comfort his partner after a long, hard day. Actions like taking off shoes, soaking feet, and giving a massage are symbols of nurturing and deep affection.

Intimacy and Sensuality:

The setting is intimate, suggesting a couple alone in the warmth ("take off all these clothes"). The physical actions described, while presented as caring, also carry a strong sensual undertone.

Emotional Healing:

The poem transitions from physical comfort to emotional needs in the final stanza. The "broken" heart is the core issue that Official 1SP wishes to warm and heal, suggesting that emotional safety is the ultimate "fireplace."

Contrast of Warmth and Cold:

The physical cold outside ("snowing") and the warmth of the fireplace are mirrored by the emotional coldness of a past trauma and the potential warmth of Official 1SP's love.

Structure and Poetic Devices

The poem is structured in three main stanzas plus a concluding quatrain (four lines), with a recurring refrain in the first two stanzas that emphasizes the central image.

Metaphor:

The "fireplace" is an extended metaphor for the relationship, the home, and the emotional sanctuary Official 1SP is trying to create. The "chimney smoking" in the last stanza is a playful, sensual metaphor for Official 1SP's desire.

Imagery:

Vivid imagery of physical comfort is used throughout: "bruised" feet, "sore" ankles, "water so warm," and the snowy weather outside help set the scene.

Refrain:

The lines "The heat is blowing, / And the fireplace hits home" (and variations) anchor the poem to its central metaphor and title.

Tone Shift:

The tone starts as tender and caring, but the final quatrain introduces a note of past heartbreak and the challenge of truly connecting when emotional guards are up.

Line-by-Line Analysis Summary

Stanzas 1-3:

Official 1SP notices the partner's exhaustion and pain ("feet bruised") and offers practical, loving comfort, creating a peaceful, warm atmosphere. The details about the foot rub and warm water emphasize the attentive nature of Official 1SP's love.

Final Quatrain:

The focus shifts dramatically here. Official 1SP acknowledges that while the physical setting is warm and their desire is present ("chimney is smoking"), his partner's previous emotional "damage" prevents them from fully feeling the warmth of this new affection. The poem ends on this poignant challenge, suggesting that emotional vulnerability is necessary for the love to truly "hit home."

BIGGEST FAN

by Official 1SP

featured in his literary debut,

'Act Like You Know: Pretrial + Poems'

https://amzn.to/485xViZ

I should have known it was like starring in a movie,

When they said that writers also get groupies;

As these women continue to swarm by the flock,

I get rid of some, more come to me nonstop,

But you knew it before I was even deemed such,

You saw potential in me when I did not see much.

If you only knew...

Can I have YOUR autograph?

Inscribe it dearly over my heart on my chest;

Can I see you between the scenes, backstage?

I love women in uniform, let me watch you get dressed

As you star in the role for your life

A hardworking single woman who needs no man,

I have a lot of respect for a lady like you,

I need to be on your mailing list as the biggest fan.

I write and serve in the Army of the United States,

But I support my hardworking single women always;

Your determination give me the strength to try,

Thinking of you at work and as I study all day and all night;

You say that you are ordinary just to yourself,

I say that you are extraordinary beyond anyone else.

If you only knew...

Can I have YOUR autograph?

Inscribe it dearly over my heart on my chest;

Can I see you between the scenes, backstage?

I love women in uniform, let me watch as you get dressed

As you star in the role for your life

A hardworking single woman who needs no man,

I have a lot of respect for a lady like you,

I need to be on your mailing list as the biggest fan.

No matter if I write music, books, or serve,

I still know the definition of a woman's worth

And prove it with the right given chance

For me to be one of your very biggest fans.

The poem "Biggest Fan" by Official 1SP is a lyrical tribute that reverses the typical celebrity dynamic, celebrating the value and independence of an everyday working woman over the superficiality of fame [1].

Summary

Official 1SP, a writer and U.S. Army service member, has experienced an influx of "groupies" due to his minor fame. He dismisses these fleeting attractions, focusing instead on a single woman whom he admired long before his success. He expresses deep respect for her hardworking, single mother lifestyle, which he views as extraordinary. He desires her "autograph" on his heart, indicating that he is her biggest fan, flipping the typical fan-celebrity power dynamic on its head.

Analysis

Role Reversal:

The central theme is the reversal of roles. Official 1SP who is gaining attention and "groupies," views this specific woman as the true "star." He is the one asking for an "autograph" and backstage access, positioning himself as the admirer and her as the celebrity.

Admiration for Independence:

Official 1SP admires the woman's strength and self-sufficiency ("A hardworking single woman who needs no man"). He respects her "uniform" (likely her everyday work attire) and her real-life "role" over the artificiality of the entertainment world he describes in the first stanza.

Sincerity vs. Superficiality:

Biggest Fan contrasts the "groupies" swarming by the flock with the genuine admiration the speaker holds for this woman who saw his potential before he was "deemed such." His respect for her is presented as more authentic than the attention he receives.