The Courts Martial
A tableau of brass sits with serious intent;
A Court it is of the martial bent.
And before it I stand stiff with pride,
I did my duty with nothing to hide.
My men they were , my very kind,
Hardened soldiers, the best you can find,
More than brothers of same mothers born,
Out of war's dirty entrails were we torn.
The dust of battle was scarcely settled,
By the enemy's ambush we were sorely nettled.
Then suddenly appeared a mother and son,
In my sniper scope they appeared as one.
How unnatural was the scene to my trained eye,
One small mistake , my comrades would die.
My heart did flutter, my finger did twitch,
I spied through the scope a dead-man's switch.
The seconds ticked by, they would be within range,
My mind clicked shut, I felt something strange.
I let out two shots, the bullets went true,
We were then evac-ed, myself and my crew.
The brass at the desk in sanctimony asked,
Tell me, my worthy, with what were you tasked?
Can you justify, the death of a child
Of his mother, or did you run wild?
I was tasked to do my duty, which I did well,
I put aside my emotions, I went through my hell;
For the life of my brothers is worth more than their wage,
And war asks no creed, no gender, no age.
Men, we are, victory and survival is our goal,
You may condemn me, the Lord will commend my soul.
~13 Jun 2016~
Copyright © Karam Misra | Year Posted 2016
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