Brother Against Brother

THIS POEM TAKES PLACE DURING THE CIVIL WAR

He and I were once close and we truly loved one another.

But I ended up having to shoot and kill my own brother.

Things were no longer like they were years before.

I had to kill my brother when I fought in the Civil War.

I live in the North, my brother lived in the South and I had to kill him.

That war was horrible and bloody, I didn't want to do something so grim.

Slaves made Southerners a lot of money and they wanted to continue slavery because of greed.

Because of that madness, I had to watch my own brother and other men suffer, die and bleed.

My brother and I had our guns aimed at each other and it was kill or be killed.

I suffer from PTSD and when it comes to getting over what happened, I don't think I ever will.

I scream because of nightmares and I always wake up in a cold sweat.

I ended the life of my own brother and it's something I certainly regret.

Because of the Southerners greed, I had to end my own brother's life while I fought in the Civil War.

When I pulled the trigger, my sister-in-law and nephews didn't have a husband and father anymore.

It's devastating to know that my brother's family hates me, they never want to see me again face to face.

This came about because the Southerners wanted to keep their slaves and it's horrible and a disgrace.

I received the Medal of Honor and I'm called a hero, but how can I be a hero after what I had to do?

Shooting my own brother and other Americans ruined my life and sheer hell is what I'm going through.