This Fire.

A soldier's return.

On this balcony I stand
The shell of a broken man
Though I may be home
I still feel nothing but cold

~-~

In the hot desert sun
I could always trust my gun
Now back here at home
I feel desperate and alone

~-~

With my squad, my buddies therein
We were as brothers, through thick and thin
We went through the same events every day
Until we came home, most of us to empty graves

~-~

I was a man of calm plan
Now my body demands to act
Politicians talk of heroism and sacrifice
For they are men who pay no price

~-~

On this balcony I stand
The shell of a broken man
Though I may be home and free
This fire in me shall burn eternally

Author's Note

Didn't pack my flashdrive with Flames and Ashes on it today, as I went to work. Decided to try and write something else to pass the time.

Reviews

[Victoria PoetryBunny]

wow... heart touching, sad... truth... feeling, this was so good, i loved how you used these lines in the beginning and the end repeating them:
"On this balcony I stand
The shell of a broken man"
...such emotion in this piece, great rhyme and flow like its effortless and just let the feelings speak... this is really good i enjoyed this a lot.

[Cherrie Palmer]

some demons live forever, but with time these bad days/weeks, dwindle to moments

[Erica Daubert]

This piece is beautiful, yet so sad at the same time. My favorite line was "For they are men who pay no price." It is so true... My cousin and a few very close friends are overseas. I pray for them everyday... Just remember that those guys that started this war will pay some kind of price sooner or later... even if it's in the after life.

[ShadowOfTheDay]

Wow..very touching and sad. This piece is very emotional. I love it! Very good job! Keep up the good work :)

[Emily Rae]

this was very moving. it really sheds light on the psychological transition from war to everyday life--one that most of us have no idea about. i appreciate you sharing.

[White Ink]

full of emotions that r well delivered. Great write!

[...]

Excellent lines in this one. "Politicians talk of heroism and sacrifice For they are men who pay no price" Love that. And the last verse; the ending, is a great summery of the poem's meaning. Great writing!

[TheElfPrincess]

A good poem, well written. Quite sad and a tear truly dropped past my cheek while reading, so well done.

wow this is sooooo emotional! i was about to shed a tea, because you made it feel like it was happening to me (even though i'm not a man)
- great work, keep it up...i'm so impressed! :)

[Chris]

"Semper Fi, Ethan." We come back from 'many' hells... and always bring them with us to share our conscious and yes - even our dreams. Nuff said.

Take care man,
Chris