MY EYES

             My eyes have seen the glory of combat

                 My eyes have seen the horror

              My eyes are tired and need to rest

           Will my eyes ever see life the same again

           Will the world ever see me the same again

                  Am I the same, no I am not
  
                Will  I  survive,  yes  I  will

                 And so will those around me

                 Will it be easy, no it won’t 

                  But we’ll all be stronger

               For the struggle has made us so


                    J R Franklin author

I’m the eyes and ears for those behind me
Am I the best or just expendable
I drink twice the water as those behind me
Best or expendable, the tension is almost unbearable.

I do the best I can but that’s not enough at times
It’s then we pay the price, mostly those behind me
What did I miss, what should I have done different
I hang my head, I don’t have the answer.

Next patrol do I give up point, no I don’t 
Why, I’m not sure.  I guess I think I’m the best
At least that’s what I tell myself
Least fear takes over and I no longer function.

Now I question myself, why do I continue
I don’t trust anyone else, I guess
If there’s a decision to be made I want to make it
I cling to this small amount of control

Just let me get through this tour
This Alice-in-Wonderland nightmare I’m in
When I get back to the world I’ll be O.K.
But it’s better to carry less water and more ammo. for now.

J R Franklin
author