Song of a Battlefront Soldier
The drum in my dreary chest
Beats and booms to the rhythm
Of coughing cannon
The commander at the backline
Sings the soldier’s motto and stomps succinctly
Underneath the uttered ululation
Lay a lean line going thus:
“Turn back to your tomb”
“Destroy the enemy”
‘I will dodge the diving bullet’
“Protect your country”
‘I will protect my dear life’
“The country sent you here”
‘Poverty drove me here’
“Time to act is now”
‘Indeed; well said by a backline commander’
This is not our battle but my battle
I will battle with rage like a belittled bear
And conquer the enemy and the immortality fear
My household awaits my back sojourn with sunken hearts
It is their smiles and not
The dutiful salute by the commander
And a firm handshake that feigns friendship
That commands my commitment
In a dingy hut I will sit
And listen to my grandmother's tales
As I watch my grandchildren grow
Someday
Copyright © Arnold Mutugi | Year Posted 2011
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