The Soldier's Price


It is a fine day to laze in the grass
And to think about that beautiful lass.
Her pretty eyes are lit with laughing fire
And she fills me with impassioned desire.

Alas, in this green field I cannot stay.
I must rise and go and be on my way.
Hardships behind and many to the fore.
How far must I go to settle the score?

It may be long and long ere I get home,
For far and far life has lead me to roam.
Time and time I have studied to go there
And day and day drink in familiar air.

I stand and pick up my gun and my pack,
Setting my feet to the long winding track.
Will she be there when I am home again?
Or, will I have to find another, then?

A man is not a man when he observes
His nation attacked and himself reserves.
He must make a strong stand against evil,
Or see all destroyed in the upheaval.

I may lose too much as an absentee,
But this is for those who come after me
I want their future to be free from fear
And have the kind of life I hold so dear.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2024

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Thomas Avatar
June 27, 2024 at 1:20 AM
This poem contrasts peaceful surroundings with the reality of being a soldier. It also contrasts the life of those left at home with the soldier who goes off to fight for them.
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