From Lifes Stream
The Soldier
He stood by the lake dreaming of the new sun
Beams of thoughts swimming through his head
The morning waves greeted him with harmony
He let his feet dangle among the waters weeds
Not afraid that the fish would bite his toes
His thoughts wandered to other places and times
Of when he was young and fished with his dad
How they sat in the boat and waited for the sun
Rising red in the eastern mountains and hills
Dreaming of yesterdays and the times they spent
His soul wandered to and fro with thoughts of
The past at his favorite camp when he smiled
Thinking of his youth before he was aware of
War and the ugliness which he knew as an adult
When he went to fight and killed for no reason
Fulfilling old mens dreams of conquest and fame
Against an enemy who had done him no harm
Raising his rifle to shoot at someones brother
A man whose family loved him so very dearly
A bullet ending his ability to be a sons loving father
A wife he would never get to know intimately
The lake was his balm from the nightmares of
Jumping from airplanes with destructive thoughts
Of performing evil acts against unknown citizens
Of other lands and foreign social organizations
He was told was the enemy of all free people
He knew that the only enemies of freedom where
Old leaders who preached hatred and intolerance
The average man of those countries was only
Interested in providing a home for those he loved
Bringing home the money he used to feed his wife
Beams of thoughts swimming through his head
The morning waves greeted him with harmony
He let his feet dangle among the waters weeds
Not afraid that the fish would bite his toes
His thoughts wandered to other places and times
Of when he was young and fished with his dad
How they sat in the boat and waited for the sun
Rising red in the eastern mountains and hills
Dreaming of yesterdays and the times they spent
His soul wandered to and fro with thoughts of
The past at his favorite camp when he smiled
Thinking of his youth before he was aware of
War and the ugliness which he knew as an adult
When he went to fight and killed for no reason
Fulfilling old mens dreams of conquest and fame
Against an enemy who had done him no harm
Raising his rifle to shoot at someones brother
A man whose family loved him so very dearly
A bullet ending his ability to be a sons loving father
A wife he would never get to know intimately
The lake was his balm from the nightmares of
Jumping from airplanes with destructive thoughts
Of performing evil acts against unknown citizens
Of other lands and foreign social organizations
He was told was the enemy of all free people
He knew that the only enemies of freedom where
Old leaders who preached hatred and intolerance
The average man of those countries was only
Interested in providing a home for those he loved
Bringing home the money he used to feed his wife
