Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ghost on January 25, 2005, 07:22:28 pm
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DISCLAIMER: I did NOT write this. A friend of mine did. Don't give me credit.
This tale is true, and mine. It tells
Not of a mercenary lusting for gold
Or a warrior in search of glory, but
Of the hardship of a simple soldier.
It tells of my suffering and how the
Battles ate at my very soul, how the
Whistling bullets cried out for my
Blood, and how the crashing shells
Boomed in laughter at my misfortune.
As I careen through the darkness to
The shouts of corporals, my fearful
Heart screams, drowning out the cries
Of the fallen strewn about me. The
Hunger for comfort consumes me, as
The winter rains chill me to the bone.
I fire blindly into the shadowy mists
Which drowns my spirit in sorrow.
A boy’s eyes fix upon me, his glazed
Stare not daring to glance at the blood
Spilled upon his tattered uniform, red as
The ribbons which adorn his breast.
And who could believe, knowing
Only the comforts of home, the joys of
Being with loved ones, never knowing
The pain of seeing his fellows fall before
Him. Naïve, knowing only of what they
Have read or heard from the untainted
Lips of others like them. They scorn me,
Spit upon my face as I return from distant
Lands, knowing that they can never
Comprehend where the true tragedy
Of war lies.
But there isn’t a man on earth
So noble as to take up arms for those
Who ridicule him, to release his youth
And his life for the good of others. The
Gleam of youth fades from their face as
They stand fast against insurmountable
Odds, and advance in the face of death.
They cry to their mother and to God, sure
As they lash out in panic at forces unknown.
Yet in their confusion lies blind courage,
Risking their being for the welfare of
Their brothers in arms. Still they strive
Forward, even as artillery rains down upon
Them from the steel-gray skies.
Thus the joys of God are made
Visible to me, as only one who has suffered
As I have can see. The bite of a cool bath
Or the embrace of a warm bed, the taste of
Clean water and hot food as one looks up
At a starry night sky. Even a simple letter
From one who is loved, or an uplifting
Story told ‘round a fire conjures a
Feeling of fleeting content, and one comes
To appreciate the simple joys that life
Brings.
The days are gone when war was
Honorable, and the courage of men
Unquestioned. The traditions are lost, and the
Pride is cowed. The honor has been blemished
By hands from afar; hands who know not the
Pain of chilblain, or of frost that freezes their
Very flesh. Hands that have not been stained
With the blood of friends, nor have been brought
To bear against their fellow man. Only the
Sorrow remains, and the only victory to be
Found is in survival.
We all fear the touch of death, yet we
Are willing to let others mete it out for our
Own means. However, there are those who
Will always stand firm and be willing to
Serve, who are steadfast in their resolve,
And who conquer their fear in the hills of
Lands unknown. Perhaps it is this which makes
Those who know the face of death
Value the life of the men in the world
Around them more. It is better for all men
To realize how precious their existence
Truly is, while in the comfort of their present
Life, lest it be awakened through death.
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Thank you for sharing this very profound message from a perspective not often taken into account. Tell your friend he did a good job.:yes:
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Wow, that's great.
Made me slightly more depressed than I am, but its great. :)