War Is Hell

Tick tick tick tick boom!
The soldier wakes up in a sterile room
Sound still ringing in his ears
He sits up and says “doc can I get out of here”

I’ve got to get back to my squad in the field
Young man you need to take it easy, yield
You may not realize it but you almost died
As for your squad, they’re waiting patiently outside

But before you can see them I need to run some tests
Okay doc, I’m sure you know what’s best
I can’t wait to get back and go after that scum
Oh hey look here my squad mates come

So good to see you all, I’ve missed you plenty
Wait just one moment, where is Benny?
You really don’t remember? Benny died
The bomb blew him to bits after he shoved you aside

Well once I’m out of here I’ll get his killers good
I’ll hunt them down, shoot them, and chop off their manhood
That may be difficult in your current state
What do you mean, I feel great

That’s the drugs disguising the pain
The truth of what happened is rather insane
When Benny shoved you the bomb blew
And your legs tore off your body and flew

What will I do now, I can’t serve with you all
I’m a useless cripple, I’ve lost my call
Chin up soldier I know that you’re sad
But not all of our news is necessarily bad

We have here one final mission for you
We will serve together one final time as your retinue
To return Benny’s remains to his family and friends
And afterwards your service will come to an end

So the soldier, mission complete returned home
A broken man, his mind began to listlessly roam
He needed to find something to occupy his time
But no one would hire a man past his prime

His drinking got bad, he was a hopeless case
But he hid it well whenever family visited his place
His depression was deep, a thing no therapist could cure
He felt ever unwanted, unneeded, and unsure

And so it continued day after day
His mood became more darkened and gray
Until finally a thought into his mind sprang
So he went to his bedside drawer and went out with a bang

© Jared Denstad

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Before I go any further, let me first state that I have never served in the military in any capacity. As a result any inconsistencies with actual military regulations are due to my own lack of knowledge in this regard. This poem is a work of fiction and is not meant to represent any real life person or event.

What you just read is more common that most would care to admit. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 17 soldiers commit suicide in the U.S. every day. I wanted to draw attention to this statistic through this poem.

I also wanted to bring awareness to the sheer number of people, military or otherwise, that commit suicide each day. If you find yourself having the same thoughts as the soldier in this poem, please speak to someone, anyone, and get help. There are a abundance of hotlines and support groups out there that exist to help people in your situation.