A Militaryman's Lament

I will not go quietly into the night

I will not succumb to murder or fright

I will fight for my honor and my country;I will fight

I will not go quietly into the night

Not on fear of death

or on loss of might

nay

I will not go quietly into the night

I will stand firm when the veil's torn asunder

and fire rains down

streaking and rending the burnt bilious sky

I will not go quietly

I will not truly die

The ground may shudder and the earth may quake

but I CANNOT go quietly into the night

 

For I stand on the shoulders of giants

And they will rail with me

they will cry out against the injustice of the world

they will shriek

they will yell

shouting their convictions into the night

war cries piercing, sheathing into this dark fight

lances

spear tips

fires and flames

embers and blades

bullets and shame

tipped in emotion

tipped in conviction

tipped in our belief

in our liberty

in our democracy

in our hopes

a thrice folded blade

ichor-stained and imperfect

powerful though flecked

 

a third of a third gleaming brightly and folded within

purifying

shining

brightening it all

a blade of human luster

 

No

I will not go quietly into the night

I will not lament my fate, my fight

I will NOT go quietly into the night

For if the cause is just

I will not hesitate to give my life to do what's right

I will go fiercely into the light

I will go bravely into the night

I will thank GOD for His protection in this fight

I will be strong at all times

myself a light

myself alight

I will not go quietly into the night.

I will not go blindly into this dark night

I will work to open my sight

I will see

I will know

I will learn

I will grow

I will protect what I came to protect

I will defend what I came to defend

I will not forget

Neither politics nor presidents, potentates or earthly powers shall deny, shall abridge, shall keep me from my duty to thee O my GOD first, and thus to my country

Author's Note

Pauses between the stanzas are important