Another Night With Soldiers Past

Long dark hollow faces

Unrecognizable features and their deathly embraces

No one needs to tell me who they are

No one to heal the haunting mental scar.

They come at night during a restless sleep

From the lurking darkness they creep

Never staying long enough for an ending scare

Always there with their taunting glare

A movement of such you can never observe

Features enough to cause you to lose your nerve

Bloody, twisted, mangled bodies of the undead

Your own body wet and sweaty as you lie in your bed.

A moan, a scream, a tight death’s grip

Into the realm of the unreal you slip

You think that soon you will awake

Only to realize this is not a dream but a journey you must make.

Dragged along with the battalions of those who are no more

Your mind searching for peace to rid you of this gore

Just when you think you’re doomed to see it all repeated

You awaken to find that the Reaper you’ve once again cheated.

Haunting creatures that you almost recognize

Hollow faces, ashen color and sunken eyes.

Pulling at your very soul

Urging you to go on one last patrol.

A gentle shaking by the love of your life

Knowing when you awaken it is your wife.

Tears streaming down her face

Knowing you once again have visited that awful place.

©David R. Alexander
August 27, 2002