Stiff on the ground

Bathing in agony.
I ain’t got the worst of it
With my leg blown off.
Guy next to me,
I can’t tell who his is anymore,
Got split in half
Entrails slithering out of him
Like blood-red snakes.

My head’s spinning,
Can’t tell left from right.
A terrible sound yells from above,
A raspy scream,
Coming right towards me.
The radio, demonic and inhuman
Chants the same thing
Over and over
Danger close

The screams, both from my friends
And above
Fall quiet for a moment
And there is clarity.
A draft, cold and harsh,
Invades my skin and steals my body.
They didn’t ask for this.
I didn’t ask for it, either.
I didn’t-

The earth erupts
A wave a fire
A blast of heat.
I was lucky
Merely kissed by the sun.
Others weren’t
Painted Black,
Charred to ash.
I don’t want to die here.

The screams sing again.
A mix of the men
And machine.
This time closer,
This time right above.
Looks like this is where I die.
This is it.
It’s a cruel world full of cruel things,
And I sure as hell ain’t no Fortunate Son.