Your War Days Are Over

Inspired by A. B. Facey's autobiography, A Fortunate Life.

Shellings, bombs, disasters and deaths,

The ringing, vibrations and hits.

        Help the wounded, 

                         Forget about you.

Gunfire, grenades, bayonets and weapons.

The enemies firing line, few yards away.

         Cries for help,

                         Nothing to do.

The deaths of your fellow people,

Deaths of your loved ones.

         Cannot be saved,

                         Leave them be.

Only way is to move on,

Keep fighting, keep surviving.

         Revenge,

                    never found.

Enemies broken in to your camp,

Parapet covers gone.

         What to do,

                         Fight or surrender?

What else to do, but keep on fighting.

Keep on surviving.

         No help found,

                         Nothing to be done.

Keep killing people's lives,

All for nothing.

         We volunteered,

                         There's no turning back.

Routine, the only comfort

To the life of a fighter.

         Rifles on our back,

                         Our only saviour now.

A blast of fire, more people dead.

An explosion nearby, quick! Run to safety.

         Lost more fighters,

                         Need new recruits quickly.

Quick boys! Build a tunnel.

Hurry, blast this one here, blast this one there.

         Hoping, praying, no more.

                           Quickly get out, round 'em all up!

At last, overtaken the trench.

Enemies firing line, gone.

         Victory claimed,

                           Lives lost.

Enemies surrendered.

White flag rasied!

        Take hold of weapons,

                           Give 'em over to our Commander!

Hit by a bullet, caught in a fire.

Shrapnel hit your shoulder, quickly, get out!

        Doctor, doctor!

                       I need your help.

Sent to doctors, on board the ship.

Bed rest is what's needed, right after healing.

        No doctor, send me back!

                          They need help, my troop.

Bouts of vomiting, internal bleeding.

Board disapproves.

        No more fighting, no more battles.

                           War days are over, no more needed. 

Hospital for weeks,

More bouts of vomiting. 

        Treatment was poor,

                           No help it did.

Sent to a convalescent home,

Recovered in there.

         Met your girl at twenty-one,

                           Here it is; a new life chapter.

  

Author's Note

What do you think?