The fight
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
