Soldier Poem by Jean Renwick

We can stand in the neon light of love
And be the quick that sparks the flame.
We can carry packs of anger and hate
Strapped between destruction and pain.

Escape by sleep or drink or flight
But around the corner we meet
Our suffering selves not left behind.
Where a heart on the sleeve is no vulnerability
But a tattoo of pride in trampled dreams.
And the remedy of contentment and beauty
Is a tradition less easily seen.

For there is no tomorrow - when we get there it’s today.
We’re stuck in moments that refuse to yield.
So untie the string; let loose the guilty echo on the wind
And walk a path of peace through the killing fields.