A Soldier's Journal

Day one, I shiver as I stand in line,

Marching out, facing fear, meeting the Reaper.

Wow, it seems as if it freezes, time,

This journal is a memory keeper.

Day two, we arrive at the war, 

Ducking down and taking cover.

Seeing my friends die, my heart it  tore, 

My mind shifts to my mother and lover.

Day three, no food, no water, under gunfire,

Our stomachs protests with growls,

And our mouths get drier and drier.

We hear the enemy on the prowl.

Day four, I am not afraid to die,

As I think of my mother,

But rather I am afraid of my mother awaking with tears in her eyes.

My mind shifts to my lover. 

Day five, I hear a crack,

I aim and cock my gun,

But I am too late as I hear the snap,

My heart weighs a ton.

Day six, I cough as I gurgle up more blood,

I hear someone approaching, footsteps.

Why am I drowning, is there a flood?

I heard someone as they wept. 

Day seven, I see my dear friend,

Writing to my mother and lover,

About my untimely end. 

As I realize I'm dead, I shudder.

Day eight, no I can't be dead, 

I think as I see the casket,

There's so much I haven't done or said,

Mourners bring up flowers in baskets. 

Day nine, I reach out to my mother,

As she weeps and sobs,

Into the shoulder of my lover, 

Asking Why God?

Day ten, I hear my lover,

Talking about being with baby,

To my own mother,

If I had known I would have lived, maybe. 

Day eleven, I wipe a tear off my lover's cheek,

She's at home alone,

Curled up on the couch as she weeps, 

clutching the phone book and the phone. 

Day twelve, I see the phone book opened,

I take a look at the page,

I see abortion clinics, and adoptions open,

I am filled with rage. 

Day thirteen, rage for my unborn child, 

Rage for my lover,

Who seems so weak and mild,

Rage for my mother. 

Day fourteen, my baby girl is born,

Between happiness and sorrow, 

My heart is torn, 

But we must move on to tomorrow.

Day fifteen, I am happy, as my lover makes a decision, 

To keep our baby girl.

Though, I know I will miss them.

I must move on, into another world.

I am silently crying,

But this time, tears of joy,

As I walk into the light, 

I say Good Night.