War

I left my family at 19,
To join the Army,
I went to war in Afghanistan,
I've seen blood shed,
Things I don't describe.

I've seen the horrors of war,
The things that men do to each other,
The things that men do to themselves.

I've seen the dead and the dying,
The maimed and the mutilated,
The orphaned and the widowed.

I've seen the destruction of war,
The cities that have been leveled,
The lives that have been shattered.

I've seen the futility of war,
The senselessness of it all,
The waste of human life.

I've seen the darkness of war,
The despair and the hopelessness,
The feeling that there is no end in sight.

But I've also seen the light of war,
The courage and the sacrifice,
The love and the compassion.

I've seen the hope of war,
The belief that things can get better,
The determination to rebuild.

I've seen the resilience of war,
The ability of the human spirit to overcome,
The strength to go on.

I've seen the beauty of war,
The sunrises and the sunsets,
The stars in the sky.

I've seen the wonder of war,
The awe and the amazement,
The sense of being alive.

I've seen the war within,
The battle between my heart and my mind,
The struggle to find peace.

I've seen the war without,
The conflict between nations,
The fight for survival.

I've seen the war to end all wars,
The dream of a world without violence,
The hope for a better future.