With the rotting stench
And the corpses he’s seeing,
How could anyone be asked
To kill another human being?
Constant regret
For what he’s done,
The war for him is over
But he still hasn’t won.
Haunting questions
Come from the dead.
The universe is exploding and imploding
All in his head.
Returning to his homeland
With emotional distress,
He’s met with indifference and anger.
He only did his best.
With not so much
As a “job well done,”
Or even a “thank you,”
Or “I’m proud of you, son.”
And the corpses he’s seeing,
How could anyone be asked
To kill another human being?
Constant regret
For what he’s done,
The war for him is over
But he still hasn’t won.
Haunting questions
Come from the dead.
The universe is exploding and imploding
All in his head.
Returning to his homeland
With emotional distress,
He’s met with indifference and anger.
He only did his best.
With not so much
As a “job well done,”
Or even a “thank you,”
Or “I’m proud of you, son.”
This piece has been published in Teen Ink’s monthly print magazine.



eliana924
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