circles

Underneath the ocean's breath

There's a soldier standing, left

Holding on for dear life

Maybe doubting if he's right

For fighting for a flag he knows

Is stained with red

Just like his shoes.

If he ever gets to sleep

He'll likely never have nice dreams.

Because of this, the soldier cries

Cries and screams out t0 the sky -

I promise I didn't mean to kill!

The bullet was a drugged pill.

They held my nose

And snapped my legs -

Sent electric shocks through my head

Peace I found, afterwards;

After I had shot to kill, of course.

The bowl I drank from was bitter sweet;

Mixing poison and bloody meat -

It was never my intention on this path

But at least I'm high enough to laugh

About the faces I made bleed

They were laughing through their teeth!

As liberty I helped them greet.

Now glass boxes frame my lungs

Because I was told what was fun.

There you'll see my fingerprints

The gun I used

To preach and preen

Every outlier

The odd and meek

The people who dare

Use their voice to speak

Against my stripes

My prison number;

Use of bruises

And aching muscles

To make my head feel even lighter.

When choosing when to end a life,

Which are worth their breath and might?

There must be a list to trust

Yes, it's sewn in uniform

Rusting now from all the red

"I'm sorry for how I hesitated."

~