Friendly Fire
Heroes All – Lest We Forget
Sing a sorrowful song and play
the pipes for the fallen soldier
who dies in the field of battle
lost in the chaos, thoughts of
home racing through his head
On that bloody
day
Bullets fly past, and the rockets blast
All around the guerilla's attack, knowing
That the soldiers cannot defend
Through the chaos and reactions, the will to live drives
Their actions and guides their arcs
to the enemies hearts
Battling valiantly the soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder,
Back to back, the enemy is losing heart and they are starting to
depart
Melting into the mountainous hills, waiting for another
Chance to make their kills
All is still; all is quiet except for the sergeant's shouts
He demands a count; sounding off the count is done
The battle won, except for one who lays still on the
Cold ground, all is quiet not a sound except for the tears
Of his platoon, the wounded stand and come near to shed a
tear
For their friend who met his defending them
A hero, a friend forever lost and forever etched in
their
Hearts a sacrifice that will never depart
Them, a call is made and report given
Secure the site and ready a pad
To pick up all the wounded in dead,
To take them home, to get them help and
For some to rest their heads, their duty done
The price is paid and as they are laid to rest the
Call of hero is forever made.
Investigation for the action, re-enactments
A plenty and with the science of forensics it is
Determined that friendly fire brought him down
All are sad and question whether it was them that
Hurt their friend, that brought an end to this young
father
Who felt pride stopping the Taliban.
Take heart, a soldier knows his part
When a battle is about to start
They know that some may never come back,
Friend or foe no fire is
friendly and its intent
Is deadly. The job done, the battle won until the
Next day, no matter what the reporters say
The soldiers know their part.
A young soldier at home, with full ceremony
As the tears stream down and national anthem
plays, the priest says that his bravery and
pride is beyond compare. Pride is all
is left, sorrow deep – sacrifices all too steep.
Look into her eyes, and say it was all
because of friendly fire. That he was not brave or
proud – that it was a friend who fired in
despair.
Not fair, no not ever. But look into your soul
and wonder if it would seal away
your sorrow.
Would it bring him back tomorrow? Were sorry to say
that today, he died because of friendly fire.
Dedication forgotten and controversy begotten, news
teams scour and search from perches high and all the
lessons are lost in a mire of controversy.
by Terry Joseph Hamel
... who is a Canadian military loadmaster on active duty at an
undisclosed location, after serving on several peacekeeping
missions as a support trade in Kabul, Bosnia/Herzegovina,
Croatia, Mogadishu, Beladola, and Nairobi. His first composition
was scrawled on his crib, and he's endeavored in writing pursuits
ever since. His work has previously appeared in this magazine,
and some other selections are available under the pen name of Neanderthal Man at the All Poetry website.
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