As a young private in military training
The soldier who was sharpest made the man
Taken off the guard roster that day
No guard duty that shift would you stand
When your name appeared on the roster
Boots highly spit-shined and uniform pressed
Every man jack among us showing our pride
Competition always brought about the best
Long ago the military had come to know
When every soldier looked good on post
The unit having duty was well represented
Reaching above the standard achieved most
Other organizations their own way
Not competing but making their own man
Without standards or true measure
A dynamic they want always the plan
This creation of theirs at times unaware
Against what needed quality did they compete
No idea why they were chosen above others
What requirements did they alone meet
Were they one in a thousand selected
If so how was someone able to decide
Or were they no different than the masses
On what basis do the deciders abide
In many instances this is just how it is done
Some grow tired of playing the game
Many so afraid to face the bitter truth
They’ve all bought into a lie just the same
We can have no metric without competition
Best of the best cannot rise to the demand
The standard lowered to whatever is desired
Only a poor system makes its own man
JBentley-05Feb2024