Iraqi Knight Poem by Ted L Glines

Iraqi Knight
by Ted L Glines

Blaze the night, rocket grenade,
tension and fear on stark parade.
Sergeant yells, 'Bogey on your right! '
bright lines of tracers spoiling your sight.
Stuttering blinks, concentrated fire,
rocket burst makes funeral pyre.
Nothing but sweat and cordite stink,
rapid fire now, hear the casings click.
A slap and a grunt from your brother friend,
your buddy's gone; gone to his end.
Screams of pain from your far right,
death grips the heart of Iraqi Knight.
Call in the choppers before it's too late,
insurgents screaming a curse of hate.
Too long 'til dawn, we die here now,
gotta survive but don't know how.
Too black to see the bodies go down,
as fire meets fire on explosive ground.
Heart like a high speed metronome,
'Baby, think of me, I'm going home! '
War is hell and that's no lie,
Goin out screaming, “Semper Fi! ”