Pour Papa

*

*

what were you thinking

as you repeatedly crawled

into Gunfire?

reaching for your Fallen

comrades

heaving them onto stretchers

all the while hugging

the Earth

Oblivious to explosions

impervious to Bullet Rain

*

was it youthful conviction

in immortality

or teeth gritting defiance

of Death?

*

Your gathered Freedom Fighters

pushed onwards

heartened by an enemy

retreating

seeing a glow

in what appeared

At Last

the Darkest Tunnel’s End

*

cleaning and dressing wounds

relieving Pain

where you could

carrying Them

desperately

close to your heart

as they took a last Breath

holding their hands

an Angel to the fevered

*

So many Fell

you survived

a Keeper of the Story

*

Those were Thunderous Times

Returning

to the small things

of ordinary life

awoke Torment

subdued by action

pursued you into the Everyday

Until

refusing to buckle

you Succumbed

*

the voices, so many

so vociferous,

so demanding

you became Two

like Wolves

they fought for your heart

in the end

only the one you fed

could win

*