The writer,

He writes,

He boasts of courage,

And of bravery,

But not I.

 

The poet,

He romanticizes,

He conveys,

He frightens,

But not I.

 

I paint,

Not of the horror,

Nor of courage,

But the raw truth,

The truth of war,

I paint.

 

---

 

October 24th, 2009

 

As deployment approaches,

The strong become anxious,

And the days grow longer,

In anticipation,

Of departure.

 

As deployment nears,

The family becomes anxious,

The friends begin to worry,

The soldier begins to wonder,

And excitement dwindles.

 

With little over two weeks left,

Before they leave for Afghanistan,

The world ceases to exist,

And life drags on,

The soldier wonders if he will ever be the same.

 

 

On October 24th, 2009,

He will leave,

With his gun in hand,

His fate unknown,

His head held high,

And his world left behind.