Walk a mile

Glory

Our heavy burdens,
weightless in comparison
to the realm that soldiers inhabit.
War, horrific, bloody war.
Which bullet has your name engraved?
Fire!
The vibrations shake the very grounds you stand on.
Screams of dying men echo in your ears.
Echo ...
         echo ...
                   echo ...
For years.
Sightless eyes burned into memories.
Fear etched into your soul.
Friendships forged in arduous combat
blown to smithereens in seconds.
Life and death.
Clothed in mud and soot,
gunpowder and grime.
Trembling, fumbling fingers
make deadly mistakes.
Hoarse whispers order
stuttering replies from broken soldiers.
Glory?
Victory. Cleaned up for the next generation to admire.


Free verse. Written 3 September 2015.

Third place in "Shadows and Light Poetry Contest"  (November 2015).