Ballad of a Soldier

A soldier's prayer for the future.

There will come a day, on this earth

When I shall be, merely,

A guest who has overstayed his welcome.

I shall have no home to return to

Lit and warmed by a fire, expectant eyes gazing

From a long known face, waiting for me to come by.

For my bed I shall have the dew-wet grass

And the sky, my roof-

A leaky one, when it will rain.

For my breakfast, I shall beg

A few glares; for lunch, Curses

And for dinner, a drunken kick.

But that will be alright, for by then

The ivy will have made green the ruins

Of burned down houses

Flowers grown through the bullet-holes

And over the carcass of abandoned tanks

That children will play around, unafraid of mines.

Sometimes my ears shall ring

With the whistling of falling shells,

The screaming of gunfire

And I shall grasp for cold steel with my hands

To find only grass,

And the sirens of air raids to be the alley cat's mewling cries.

I will have neither hope nor gratitude

Nary a penny in payment,

Save for, perhaps, a child's gap-toothed smile

Underneath a kite, flying high in the sky

Fearless, utterly joyful

Childhoods, set forever free.

And it will be enough, For I am

And will be, on borrowed time

All I ask, is let me pass in my sleep.

Let them find me cold in the grass

The stars over my eyes

And on my lips, a tired smile.

There will come a day on this earth

When I shall be, merely,

A guest who has overstayed his welcome.

And I shall have a crate for a coffin, no one come

To visit my little green mound

Save for the swallows, in spring.

Author's Note

My first poem here, please do not hesitate to provide all your thoughts and criticisms. All I ask is that you keep them constructive.

You feedback is very much appreciated!

Reviews

[Carolynn]

Wow this is really good. I love poetry and write a bit myself but not quite so deep - this was sad but I could really relate to the character. Some people live such difficult lives while others fly threw theirs with not a care! Crazy world we live in!