The Casualties of War

No one ever knew his pain, or heard his silent cry

But those who could have helped him, will ask the question – WHY?

He should lie among our heroes, who paid their deadly toll

But you won’t ever find his name, on any honour roll

 

He was born to be a soldier, there was no other quest

In training and in battle, he conquered every test

When his unit was deployed, he went with no regrets

He loved his khaki uniform, since the days of school cadets

 

This was his true goal in life, the challenges he’d meet

Where death lurked by the roadside, or on a village street

He came home from the conflict, but found it hard to deal

How can sanity survive, when normality is surreal

 

The government said. “We’ll help you. We are there to assist the troops “

But you’d have to be an acrobat, to jump through all their hoops

Their lack of understanding, really took the cake

The only thing to concern them , was their next coffee break

 

He took the roadway of despair,that lead him to his end

They thought him fit for duty, but there were other wounds to mend

For the demons raged within his soul, and fixed him with their stare

When he slipped beneath life’s radar, no one seemed to care

 

Another shot to ease the pain, a habit to be fed

Till he finally found his peace on earth, on a grubby motel bed

They say he died by his own hand, a reason that seems feeble

For he was not the one who brewed, the poison for the needle

 

No Last Post bid a proud farewell, no volleys filled the air

A group of those who loved him and friends assembled there

No one will proclaim his deeds, at home or on foreign shore

He lies among forgotten ones, a casualty of war.

 

By Tomas ‘Paddy’ Hamilton

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