The memories remain

And even in silence there is pain
So he has chosen to fight
For what he believes is right

Because fighters have fought the fight
Revolutionaries have revolted for rights
But soldiers….well soldiers, have SOLD their souls
And soldiers have filled unwanted roles, and unwanted holes
With dirt, and bodies, and guilt.

And so he spoke to us today,
In such a casual way.
Stories of glory, of terror, of loss and defeat
Stories of horror, of wonder, of fear and retreat.

Muzzle flash. FIRE!
Tracers trace, bullets race, soldiers pace

SILENCE

Look around, not a sound, something found

SILENCE

Busted bed, splattered red, all…are dead

SILENCE

No mother left weeping, no child left sleeping, only young soldiers creeping

SILENCE

Why did we fire? What did you see?
Why did we fire? On this family of three?
Who saw the flash? Who shot first?
And who followed suit with that deadly burst?

We were just following orders, he said in confusion.
Following orders….a guilty delusion.

They set up a checkpoint at random today
And a car barreled through, because that checkpoint wasn’t there…yesterday
Before the soldier could think
Before the soldier could blink
Two shots were fired
At the car’s back tires.

The car skidded to a halt
Adrenaline rushing, a soldier’s heart pumping
He ran over to see who was really at fault
Dragged the man out through the window
And down onto the ground
Strip searched him for weapons
But that was not what he found

Out of the corner of his eye
In the dusty back seat of the car
Sat a wide-eyed young boy
Who had just witnessed his first act of war

Not a war between countries or governments or ideals
Rather, a war between this soldier and his beloved father.

And the soldier could see, as he kicked and screamed
He could literally see the little boy dream
Dreams of anger and horror made him wish for the day
Wish for a gun in his hand to blow this soldier away

And so he spoke to us today
In such a casual way

He fought and he lived, and he knows what he did
No regret or remorse, just a request…..for a change in course

Because we are perpetrating hatred, instead of perpetrating love
With no regard for one another
How will we ever rise above?