Soldiers Of War
Our bodies covered in mud, our heads bowed
Thin and frail, still determined
Backs painful
The homeward journey brings back spirit to our limp bodies
Lead boots attached to feeble feet.
We could not forget the destruction
Which lay behind us.
Ears ringing with the sound of terror and madness.
Remembering lost and loved ones.
Feet blistering with pain.
Unconscious of bombs behind.
I sensed trouble behind “Run! Gas!”
Diving for our gas masks
All but one managed
But we weren't ones to give up.
Green soupy air wrapped itself around us.
Holding us hostage.
Losing sight of my fellow men
Reaching for something but finding nothing.
Someone struck me tightly grasping my shirt.
He was dying
The gas battling against his young, healthy lungs.
I was helpless, useless.
Now you imagine dragging the poor victim
Through the long grass
At the side of the dirt track.
His lungs nearly defeated.
Tears running down his and my face.
Coughing, spluttering, gasping for air.
Too much to handle?
If you were me
And had seen the dying face of my friend
You would be distraught
We suffered.
Not all died a glorious death.
No, it wasn't always as it seemed.
Message Posted By: By Hannah Eshelby
Date Posted: 10-12-2005
