The Ex Soldier - An Allegory Poem by Damian Cranney

A foul furtive fellow,
came a knocking at Joe's door,
what doth thou want,
thou craven knave,
Speak up else I put thee in thy grave,

I mean no harm my master
The ill looking creature moaned
I ask for but a bite of bread
and he turned away and groaned.

A pox upon your body
and a curse upon your soul,
Have I been put upon this earth?
to feed the likes of you,
A beggar and a vagrant
and perhaps a cut throat too,
Be gone before I fetch my whip
and tan your hide to blue.

The beggar looked at Joe,
and something in him stirred,
Just now I called thee master,
But thou art nothing but a turd,
You treat me like a dog thou cur,
I will not leave your sullied path,
Until you call me sir.

Big Joe could not believe his ears,
and one step forward did he take,
The beggar now to action took,
His sprightly frame belied his look,
and from beneath his ragged cloak,
Pulled a heavy wooden stave of oak,

I may, on hard times, have fallen,
Swallowed pride and not been outspoken,
Twas before my soul had been broken,
for I once was a soldier a good one to boot,
With crossbow I could any man outshoot,
Accoutred with short sword and pike,
I could hold my own with anyone you like.

Although not afraid Joe
looked at him wry,
Perhaps his harsh words
had been hasty,
He looked at him now
with a new look in his eye,
Wouldst like a taste
of wife's new baked pasty,
I am happy good sir
to try thee at quarterstaff,
But prithee refresh thee
with some pie and some ale,
And you can regale us
with your soldierly tale.

The soldier looked up,
a new light, bathed his face,
I thank thee master
for thy most kind words, I
They show thee a gentleman,
full of fine grace,
I pray forgiveness, if I,
offence to you have given,
Your words inside made me cry,
By them was my temper driven.
I am now the me, that I used to be,
I accept your offer most gratefully.

Just then he awoke,
from this dream,
Being kicked by a cop
in an alley, not clean.
Wake up, wake up,
you can't sleep here,
He remembered his dream,
and had no fear,
I can sleep where I like,
I'm an ex-army vet,
I fought for my country,
which I do not regret,
But for all of that suffering,
I'm still owed a debt.

He found himself bound,
As the cop read his rights,
Was held hard to the ground,
Then thrown in the back,
Of a sleek, black and white,
Was charged and locked up,
In a cell for the night.

The judge in the morning,
Was unsympathetic,
If you're an ex veteran,
You should go get a job,
You make us feel guilty
When you sleep in street,
It was not our fault,
that you died in that war,
You just haven't realised
You should not be here.
Eventually you will realise,
And will then disappear.
Thirty days was his sentence,

He was marched and locked in the cells,
The arresting officer treated him ok,
Would you like some pie he heard him say
Well thanks said the vet,
No probs, said the cop,
What's your name I forget,
Its Robbo I guess said the vet,
Mines easy the cop said it's Joe.