The Mound They Died On

"Drive forward men!"
The stench of sick and death surrounds.
We drive forward.
Head on into the blood curling sounds.
"Don't stop until you're dead, boys!"

We cry out to intimidate.
Bullets shred those around us, we press on if we're alive.
We cry out of fear.
Returning fire, not to kill, but to survive.

Johnny, Marcos, Matt, and Troy beside me.
Soon only Matt by my side
The other three either fell behind.
I cannot wonder if they died.

My focus on the hill, we must take the hill
We drive forward.
A graze of hot lead on my arm
We drive forward

Now Troy catches up and cries, "Give 'em hell!"
Johnny, from behind, fires and screams out.
My closest friends still beside me, they did fall behind.
Now beside me, but one we're without.

Troy runs ahead, and falls.
We hide behind a barrier as he yells for the pain he's in.
More gunfire, he's hit one, two, three more times.
He doesn't move again.

"Move men, move!"
Our Sergeant runs on, we follow.
Explosions nearby, "Grenades, grenades!"
The ground falls hollow.

Johnny's crying from behind, he has fallen.
An explosion silences everything.
I tried to turn to pick him up.
The world begins to ring.

I scream, in a hope that I can bring sound back.
I see Marcos, he picks me up and points.
I look back for Johnny
Johnny's legs have been cut down at the joints

I hear our Sergeant first.
"Forward, move forward!"
Matt approaches Marcos and I.
He helps lift me and we run together.
Two friends lost, our anger has stirred.

We aim to kill,
Our fear is gone.
We drive forward.
Till dusk, and slow with the coming dawn.

We find refuge in a foxhole.
The bullets decide to rest for a moment.
A few hundred yards behind
Troy and Johnny lay dead and dormant

Marcos, Matt, and I survive for now.
We accept the moment to lay still.
The stench of sick and death surrounds.
Tomorrow, we finish taking the hill