In Rememberance

Remembrance Day Poem

The sky is dark;the clouds lay still.One lone man stands upon a hill.
He wears no emotions; his face is blank.His vision's blurry; his heart has sank.

Sprawled on the ground lie friends he knew.
Through trial and error, their friendships grew. 
They fought hand in hand and side to side.
Till that dreadful moment when each one had died.  

With trembling hands and tear stained cheeks, he falls to the ground, both tired and weak. 
No feelings of triumph; no thought of glee.
No joy at all, though his country remains free.

His ears are ringing from gunfire and blasts. The battle still seems near, though it's now in the past. As he lies on the ground to catch his breath, he still somehow wishes he'd been taken by death.

He knows how the future is going to play out. Sleepless nights filled with nightmares where he'll scream, cry, and shout. A backfiring truck, a scream of a child; they'll all bring back memories that'll drive him insane and make his mind go wild.

He'll try going to therapy; maybe sharing it will do the trick. But the memories are too vivid and each time he'll feel sick. His family will be there for him to love and to hold. But he'll think of his fallen comrades and instead them dying, he'll say that he should've. 

No antibiotics, no drugs, no drink can alter his feelings or the thoughts that he thinks. His life will never be normal. He'll never be the same. It's not just a past. It isn't a game.

They fight for us all, till death do them part. They fight for what they stand for in their souls and in their hearts. They know the sacrifice that they'll have to make. Still they do it with purpose; it's the chance they choose to take. 

As we stand together and gaze at our flag, we show our respects to the decision they've made. With poppies abreast and heads held high, we show that we're proud of those who've offered their lives.

For all those who've given and to those who still give, we owe you our thanks; it's because of you our country lives.