Fortifications surround me on all sides
The cannon pulls at its ropes for escape
The glowing embers of what was once a fire rest in a pit over to the side

The dark of the night seems to illuminate the moon brighter than it really is
The ominous shadow of the cannon falls on the green-less, dead grass
The flash of the shot lights up the muzzle of the big gun

The muffled crash of the cannon rings in my finger-plugged ears
The shrieks of some surprised people travel all the way to the river
Claps of some relieved onlookers lighten the mood a little bit

But I wonder, where else has this cannon been shot?
What famous people have heard this exact same noise as me?
Was this daunting cannon used in war?

I cringe as the shock waves of the blast seem to rumble in the bottom of my stomach
The feeling of anxiety changes to relief in that split second of the shot

For one night I am a soldier…