Grief

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Marching through the soot and ash
The evidence of tragedy all around
Amidst the bleak turmoil
There is not a sound
Like the one of my own heart drumming
Against the rhythm of my feet
And the echoes of the screams
Of the hopeless, scared, and beat
Not a single breath could whisper
The fullness of my pain
And not a single soul would want
To see the sight that I strain
To block from my mind
Though it enters my heart
The reality of what I see
That pricks like a dart
Upon my conscience and my soul
The only thing I treasured more
Than my freedom was salvation
I hadn’t noticed before
Now I kneel in front of mountains
Made of rubble, dirt, and blood
That home the graves of countless
That crumbled like a flood
Flowing unrestrained
Through the crowded lives of strangers
Measured by the things it conquers
And the souls it puts in danger
The ashes rise and blur
The images searing my eyes
The liberty I once lived
Was made up of lies
That were torn down by this vision
Of the desolation before me
And the destruction of the ignorant
I now can never again be
In the sight of God
And pretend to not hear
Or remember the faces and the cries
That were screaming in my ear
To save what little they had left
But I am just a soldier, a man
Inside I’m terrified of this
But I’ll try as hard as I can
To relieve the pain they feel
And try to make it right
Though it seems impossible
I walk by faith and not by sight
I don’t know why I was chosen
To be the one that carried
The lifeless to a resting place
So they could be buried
Upon a hill where a wooden cross stood
Marking the place of final peace
Showing the world the emblem
Where life had somehow ceased
My face is covered in soot
And my heart is filled with sorrow
This place cannot be forgotten
For I will be gone tomorrow
I’ll find a way to come back
To kneel upon that hallowed ground
And pray in humble silence
And stare in awe at the scene around
The cross where the sun is rising
I will lift my hands in praise
Because I know I have a promise
Amidst all the haze
In life, and I’ll remind you that He gives
Beauty for ashes, and strength for fears
And you will know my love
From the tracks of my tears.

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