Upon the battlefield, soldiers stand face to face

A flag sets them apart, as their body and mind all stand the same

The same training, the same objective

 

Victory for their flag

Defeat for the other

As long as a bullet is there to be fired, so it must be fired

As long as there is sharpness in your blade, it must cut

As long as that arm has a the strength to be lifted, it must punch

As long as there is a breath to be taken, words have to be spoken

Victory or death

And the cards are set

On that fateful day, all that preparation is put to use

Uniform adjusted and tagged to the correct post, tools cleaned and set to be used, bodies strengthened to its most and minds directed towards a single goal

One adds to the next to make a squad, squads to make a platoon, platoons to make an company

Faces are filled with pride in their achievements to this point, being united by a common goal, and realization on the purpose set forth

Armed with determination and weapons in their hands they march to their destiny

Eyes and guns looking forward

The call is made

Charge to victory

The earth is revolved by the movement, dust fills the air and screams fills the ears of those willing to hear them, in a seemingly never-ending wave of destruction over everything that it touches

That wave swirls through all parts of the playing field, with each side fighting bravely for a chance to succeed

Everything is open and the odds are balanced

Until the weakest link breaks and everything quickly changes

Step by step, the scene takes a change of parts

A side forcing its path, the other trying to resist

Heated words rumble amongst those that feel the apparent loss

To stand as best as possible to try again tomorrow with a new set of soldiers, to retreat to a safer position or to give in and surrender

But surrender is never an option and retreat a last resort at best

So they decide to stand

A foolish task to be discovered

As what could not fight cannot stand the ripple of the waves

Waves that engulf those what stand in its way

Men become beast in such times

Drenched in power, no barrier stands in their way

And the waters shine bright red after the waves pass

Twilight falls upon the horizon

Peace reigns over the scene

A shallow peace still filled with noise

The sound of cries and tears

Not of those that died

But of those that await a fate worse than death

Remembering what happened

The falling of those close to them

The uselessness of their part

The foolishness of this endeavour

Not being able to make change with their actions

Powerlessness fills their beings, like a poison that doesn’t kill, but just maims

A scar that will never heal

Hidden deep within

 

I roam the battlefield watching these souls

Stepping over this blood filled earth

Hearing them ask for release

They look for a savior

Or in its absence

An executioner

Who can take away both the guilt and the shame

Both of those who lost

As of those who won

As they know that the glory attained is forever tainted in blood, never forgiven, only forgotten in the sands of time

And for that chance to forget

They pledge all that they have and all that they are

But that is something I will not give

As memories are what makes us

And without them we are nothing

How better it would have been

If you had fought for me

I would not have told you to kill

But to fight to become better

To train to impress me

To appease me

To fulfill me

Surrendering to become strong

Instead of stronger to make others surrender

I wish I could have taken you before that scar was made

Given a new direction to that fire that burned inside you

Instead of seeing in extinguished in barren land

All that I can offer you

Is my memory of you so you are not forgotten

And a message to those that are to take the same path as you did

To choose wisely the path they will take

Because in war there are no winners

Only those that lose a little less