War

• Isabel Stabback, Grade 7
• Poetry
• 2013

The boy left, leaving his family behind.
He would not take them to the unknown battle that was to be fought.
His uniform reminding him what he was about to face
The unexpected task, the dangerous task ahead
19 years of age and a gun in his hand
Life could go anywhere for this boy
Loved by his family and friends
A smile that could light up a room of darkness
The Camouflage worn by everyone in the room
Some of them never to be seen again
Training, were young men and women with families whom they bid goodbye.
The boy was worked hard and then sent out to Afghanistan.
His best friend killed on the third day.
Being covered in dirt all the time.
Running was this 19 year old forced to mature too fast.
Then darkness which his smile could not make light.
This boy drifting into nothingness
And waking to find his loving family around him
Feeling nothing below his knees he glanced down horrified
There was nothing and there would never be anything there again
His families faces were dull no expression
Surely they were happy their brother, son, cousin and grandson was home.
He was recounting how this happened to his grandkids years later
And he remembered that young boy that went off to war
That 19 year old that came home with no legs.
Telling them how he had grown as a person because of it.
And remembering those poor unfortunate men ad women who had never made it home.
But he had been lucky enough to.