Poet Soldiers
The child turned to his future
asking what am I to be
a poet or a soldier
who shall make this choice for me
am I to lead or am I to follow
what is my destiny
the child suddenly felt a whisper
flow through his very being
you may choose what you shall be
but hear this moment well
from this heartbeat on
you alone decide your legacy
Hannibal and Burns
not so different than you or me
one shared his words with the world
the other took all that he could see
every man writes his own history
before he is laid to rest
a soldier and a poet
each one mere flesh and bone
both shall surely perish as mortals
each chooses their own battlefield
a soldier shields himself with armour
a poet is protected by his truth
a soldier may wage fear because he can
the poet builds with words and belief
one yields a sword as a weapon
the other draws a landscape with prose
the soldier lives to follow orders
a poet hears the wind
a soldier takes by force
the poet bestows imagination
one seeks the spoils of war
the other merely time to think
one grants conditions of surrender
the other will shares his daily bread
a soldier may cross to a new frontier
the poet traverses galaxies
one occupies a country
the other captivates the mind
one sees sunrise as time to march on
the other to kneel and give thanks
the child then chose
where his journey would take him
bidding farewell to his days of innocence
bowing humbly to the vast sea
in his heart he took in a mighty wave
whispering share this journey with me
Irish Qualicum Bay 2008
Copyright © Michael Poyntz | Year Posted 2009
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