The fight

Upon the battlefield, soldiers stand face to face


A flag sets them apart, as their body and mind all stand the same


The same training, the same objective




Victory for their flag


Defeat for the other




As long as a bullet is there to be fired, so it must be fired


As long as there is sharpness in your blade, it must cut


As long as that arm has a the strength to be lifted, it must punch


As long as there is a breath to be taken, words have to be spoken



Victory or death




And the cards are set



On that fateful day, all that preparation is put to use


Uniform adjusted and tagged to the correct post, tools cleaned and set to be used, bodies strengthened to its most and minds directed towards a single goal



One adds to the next to make a squad, squads to make a platoon, platoons to make an company




Faces are filled with pride in their achievements to this point, being united by a common goal, and realization on the purpose set forth




Armed with determination and weapons in their hands they march to their destiny


Eyes and guns looking forward




The call is made


Charge to victory




The earth is revolved by the movement, dust fills the air and screams fills the ears of those willing to hear them, in a seemingly never-ending wave of destruction over everything that it touches


That wave swirls through all parts of the playing field, with each side fighting bravely for a chance to succeed




Everything is open and the odds are balanced


Until the weakest link breaks and everything quickly changes




Step by step, the scene takes a change of parts


A side forcing its path, the other trying to resist


Heated words rumble amongst those that feel the apparent loss


To stand as best as possible to try again tomorrow with a new set of soldiers, to retreat to a safer position or to give in and surrender


But surrender is never an option and retreat a last resort at best




So they decide to stand


A foolish task to be discovered


As what could not fight cannot stand the ripple of the waves




Waves that engulf those what stand in its way


Men become beast in such times


Drenched in power, no barrier stands in their way


And the waters shine bright red after the waves pass




Twilight falls upon the horizon


Peace reigns over the scene


A shallow peace still filled with noise



The sound of cries and tears


Not of those that died


But of those that await a fate worse than death



Remembering what happened


The falling of those close to them


The uselessness of their part


The foolishness of this endeavour


Not being able to make change with their actions


Powerlessness fills their beings, like a poison that doesn't kill, but just maims




A scar that will never heal


Hidden deep within




I roam the battlefield watching these souls


Stepping over this blood filled earth


Hearing them ask for release



They look for a savior


Or in its absence


An executioner


Who can take away both the guilt and the shame



Both of those who lost


As of those who won


As they know that the glory attained is forever tainted in blood, never forgiven, only forgotten in the sands of time


And for that chance to forget


They pledge all that they have and all that they are



But that is something I will not give


As memories are what makes us


And without them we are nothing




How better it would have been


If you had fought for me


I would not have told you to kill


But to fight to become better



To train to impress me


To appease me


To fulfill me



Surrendering to become strong


Instead of stronger to make others surrender




I wish I could have taken you before that scar was made


Given a new direction to that fire that burned inside you


Instead of seeing in extinguished in barren land




All that I can offer you


Is my memory of you so you are not forgotten


And a message to those that are to take the same path as you did




To choose wisely the path they will take


Because in war there are no winners


Only those that lose a little less