Ten Men

Ten men in all They formed his crew Some were short And some were tall Half were on the left Half on the right Working together They were tight Padded for protection Helmeted for safety Robed in commonness They were shielded to win Two of them were short And stayed to the side of the others Wide with girth They were there to support Six were average They stayed in the middle Performing their tasks Daily without umbrage The last of the ten Not tall nor short Were the last to join in Preferring the group to remain open Each of them worn Battle scarred and bruised Their resolve apparent Through the flesh that was torn Some still stood straight While the others leaned to the side Each had service this world With both love and hate Strong and proud Those ten could not be separated Till their last living breath To their service others bowed Right and left Short and tall A lifetime of service Free from bereft?