Soldier

We’ve laid down our swords And hanged up our shields But the war still rages on in our hearts We’ve tamed the warhorse His saddle rests in the stable But his stride still charges our frontlines Our trenches buried A soldier never stops his march It will continue to consume him to his own end And all those close to him Will be his unintended victims On the battle brought to his doorstep So we’ve built a war machine To deliver nothing less than glory Designed perfection in total destruction He moves with stealth His existence camouflaged You’ll never see him crumble as he salutes you Honourably discharged into a violent society Opposed to his order and discipline To endure sounds of gunshots and chaos in the streets Forced to relive his nightmares Of exploding missiles and discharged mines Screams of the dying and the agony of the wounded Staring into the empty distance He sees the worlds he's helped destroy Following orders to protect and serve his own He understands the sacrifice As he holds his child in his arms How he gave new life with his gun’s final breath Surrounded by loved ones Desolate as an abandoned battlefield Missing the lives he's lost...dreading the lives he's taken Explosions in his head Shrapnel in his heart He's a spear thrown deep into enemy territory ...I salute thee brave knight For I sleep inspite of war tonight A war once ended peace will endure, but yours is uncertain Tribute to the Soldier! A brother, a warrior...a sentinel...a hero Thabang Jan Ngoma 07-17-2015 Sponsor: Kelly Deschler Contest Name: Men Only #2