For the Fallen

[resecoy]

You're up long before the first light of dawn
Putting on all the clothing you owned
Because the desert at night was deathly cold
And you were far, far from the warmth of home

You could hear the bombers fly overhead
Listening as they made their noisy run
Waiting for daybreak to happen
Poised and ready, standing at your gun

What thoughts flooded your mind as you waited
The thing you loved, the things you hated
While the sky turned from black to grey
Then purple, red, orange and the blue of day

You waited on the order of the day
A few more minutes, some extra time to pray
For yourself and for others, the end of war and peace
Get me through another day you said, to say the least

Sometime they called a stand down
You wandered back to your hooch
Shucked off part of the clothing
Looked for the coffee that you could mooch

But then came that dreaded order
Plain and clear, without a doubt
Pack up all your equipment
Your unit was moving out

Not long before you're crossing the line
Hundreds of vehicles in their own time
Lock and load, engage, fire, maneuver and turn
Hearts and minds, nerve and muscle all began to churn

Sometimes the battle only lasted minutes
But it could also turn into hours
Fed by blood, sweat and determination
That drained the enemy of his powers

When the dust and smoke had cleared
And the vehicle engines grew quiet
You stripped down to your t-shirt and flak vest
And found cold water a refreshing respite

A prayer of thanks that you made it through
But some had not fared as well as you
They had gave it all in this great test
Time was at hand for their final rest

Now we bow our heads and remember
Those who have gone on before
Who rode their steel horses
And lost their lives at war

Ron Secoy