1862

1862 TWAS IN THE SUMMER OF '62 WHEN MEN WORE GRAY AND OTHERS BLUE WHEN SOUNDS OF MIGHTY BATTLES RAGED AS WAR BETWEEN THE STATES WAS WAGED OH WHAT YOUNG MEN WERE WE FULL OF LIFE AND FANCY FREE BOASTING HOW WE’D WIN THE WAR A DAY OR TWO, NOT ANY MORE AND ON THIS DAY WE START OUR VENTURE MARCHING TOWARD OUR GREAT ADVENTURE ALL DAY WE WALKED ON DUSTY ROADS, THE SWEAT ON BROW FROM HEAVY LOADS THEN DAYS END ON THE RIVER BANKS WE FINALLY CAMPED AND GAVE OUR THANKS STORIES WERE TOLD AS THE PICKETS PATROLLED THE SARGENT WAS THERE SOME GRAY IN HIS HAIR THE SCARS ON HIS FACE SO EASY TO TRACE AND SO WAS A BOY JUST 15 NO MORE HE ASKED THE SARGENT JUST WHY WE’RE AT WAR THE SARGENT LOOKED UP WITH A COLD MILKY EYE AND SAID SON I’LL TELL YOU AND IT WON’T BE A LIE THE STARE SO INTENSE THAT CAME FROM HIS EYES HIS VOICE STAYING SOFT HIS WORDS WERE SO WISE WHEN SOULS OF ALIKE ARE NO LONGER TOGETHER WHEN ALL TALKING STOPS LIKE YESTERDAY’S WEATHER WHAT ONCE WAS FORBEARANCE THAT THEN TURNS TO HATE WILL TAKE A GREAT MANY TO THE DEVILS OWN GATE WAR IS A THING SON IN WHICH WE ALL SIN WAR IS A THING NOT TO BE IN WAR IS A WORD THERE IS NO DELIGHT TONIGHT WE’LL HAVE PEACE AND TOMORROW WE’LL FIGHT TOMORROWS THE DAY HE SAID WITH THAT STARE WHEN BOYS BECOME MEN AS SOULS BECOME BARE YOU’LL KNOW WHO YOU ARE IF YOU LIVE THROUGH THE DAY YOU’LL KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BY THE MEN THAT YOU SLAY WHO AM I THOUGHT I ON THAT WARM SUMMER NIGHT MY SENSE OF IMMORTAL HAD NOW TURNED TO FRIGHT AND AS IT TURNED OUT I WAS NOT SO ALONE A CHILL RAN THROUGH ALL RIGHT DOWN TO THE BONE AND SO THE DAY ENDED NOT AS IT BEGAN OUR THOUGHTS NOW SUSPENDED OUR WILL NOT SO GRAND NOT ONCE COULD I SLEEP NOT EVEN A YAWN IN FEAR DID TIME CREEP THE MINUTES TO DAWN