his tongue thirst clave to his mouth
his weary limbs battle-ached
the battle went on pitched with death-wails
oh the failed souls
even the victorious could not but pity them
for they would not up-give their own life for the shame of being missed

bullets and bayonets
flying and flashing
breaking and cracking
streamers of red-cries
survivor-gasping with relief
that it was not them

dumb-luck they knew
skill-perhaps they doubted
but there was no anthem
that parted the stench
of the dead

home they wished for
and some returned unboxed
some with king's gold upon their chests
some with war bards mention

Home became a place of war-remember
or a place of war-forget
land-fought on different dirt
mind-bought and bound by survival

mouth thirst quenched
but the mind still-dry
heart-fearing to account
the ending judgement
braven helmets fell next to cowards
no way to tell them apart
but they all fell in knowledgeable-fear

a good man once-was
a good home peaceful-was
a good war never-was
but hope-again the slaughter-day
never dawns

the mind-seed is dry
though the harvest-plenty
thirst-deep but no well delves so far

so a brave man voice-opens
cracked with war-fragments
dares to tune-lilt
stronger than the devil's cannons
or those goblin mortars
the darts of a spirit-unseen

simple song
page-wrote
lifeless-words

but a victorious thirst-quenching
when again
against all battle-calls
and death-rattles
an unworthy voice
sings home-words