We Did Not Die

They told us come and love - we came and loved,

And loved again; we did not know better

Than to obey the last and smallest letter

Of orders that were coming from above.

They told us go and hate - we went, and hate

Felt like a warm but torn and dirty sweater,

But we believed it did not really matter

Because we thought by then it was too late.

They told us stay and hold – we stayed and held

We held the thought, the line, the fort, the horses

Until we were replaced with special forces

Who did not like the way we looked and smelled.

And so they told us to lie down and die

Because we serve no purpose whatsoever;

We did not die, we were by far too clever,

We did not die, we simply closed our eyes.