Memories Of A Soldier Poem by Anthony Richard Andrews

I close my eyes and breathe in a long, deep, breath
in the knowledge that this may very well be my last.
My heart is racing, as the noise of battle fills my ears,
and I am plagued by the memories of long ago.

The sound of gunfire rolling like a heavy thunder,
the shouts and screams of soldiers from both sides,
fighting for what they believe is right, for their lives.
Each one with the same wish, honor for their country.

All around me people lay dying, limbs are lost,
and people's lives are changing forever.
I open my eyes and glance up to the night sky,
The explosions flash before me, like lightening.

The trenches are filled with rats, as they swarm around
to feast on the corpses of the dead, and the few
remaining food rations we have left, spreading disease
to those of us that remain living on this wasteland.

Each of us are scared, as we try to hide our fear,
and in our hearts we are united with prayer that
it will all be over soon, as the minutes seem to last
for hours, and the hours, an eternity.

Around my neck I wear a cross, which I kiss every
chance I get and pray that I will be home soon,
Through this bloody battle my faith keeps me strong,
I thank the lord above for this, my savior.

These scenes I shall remember for as long as I live,
no matter how long that is.... or how short.
For in these fields of destruction death awaits us all,
and within it's path, very few of us shall survive.

These are dark times, we are facing head on,
and in the heat of war, it makes killers of us all.
For out here there is but one rule, kill or be killed,
and as each second passes, another man dies.

Another explosion, claims another life,
one of ours this time, trained in the same squad
as me, we actually signed up together,
another letter to another family waiting back home.

That could happen to any one of us, I think to myself
as silently a tear rolls down my face, this truly is hell
on earth, when will the killing end, and will I make it
out of this god forsaken nightmare, this living hell.