A
Soldier’s Lament
Sent
off to a distant land to fight in a war;
Only wanting to do my part, no less, no more.
When
I left home I was young and naïve,
Returned a cynic, unable to believe.
“I
am a warrior, I will not show fear.”
“I
am a warrior, I will never shed a tear.”
I
thought like this ‘til I saw a close friend die,
And
I saw our sergeant, a three tour vet, kneel down and cry.
The
horrors of war, they can happen so fast;
Forever to torment, forever to last.
No
one said a word when we saw a small child die,
There
was no one to listen when we asked, “why?”
To
my friends and family I was fearless and bold.
I
was tired, angry and felt a million years old.
All
I, all everyone dreamt about was making it home,
Will
I be like my uncle, a
Michael
D. Monfrooe
Written for a troop after he made it
home from his 3rd tour in