The March

About war. Not that I've experienced one. About wars that I've read about or from stories I've been told

Marching in step

Towards your death

To the sound of the cadence

Pa rum pum pum puming

Left, left, left right left

 

And you broken body knows

That you have nothing left

While your empty heart, exhausted

Is pounding in its chest

Left, left, left right left

 

Dead bodies carpet the earth

You march on their flesh

Avoiding rivers of blood

Don’t want to get your shoes wet

Screaming left, left, left right left

 

Your soul knows regret

Laying next to dead friends

Nightmares of murders you can’t forget

And you curl up in the fetal position

Crying left, left, left right left

 

But there’s nothing left

Life’s just a fucked up present

Wrapped neatly in death

And nothing is right

Because your job was to take life

So you lay in your bed alone at night

While the drummer boy plays one last time

Pa rum pum pum puming in total quiet

Left, left, left right left

 

 

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good poem about war. Had the feel of the old wars. When men went into battle knowing death was very near. Strong flow of thoughts lead reader to a strong ending. Thank you for sharing the excellent poem.
Coyote