Was it Worth It?

You stand upon the battlefield
The dead and dying lie all about you.
You stand alone,
Down between two hills.
There on the hill you see
A single man rise and stumble
And, lo! His is not your uniform!

He sees you,
Just as you see him,.
You hesitate, thinking about him.
Who is he?
Why is here?
What is his story?
You stand there wondering,
But he exploits that second,
And raises his gun.

You stare down the barrel,
And for a moment your eyes meet,
For a moment, but no more.
He pulls the trigger.

That second stops,
Stretching to an eternity,
And you think.
Was it worth it?
What did you do?
You saw death,
Death and destruction,
And even participated in it.
Was it worth it?

You saw heroes rise,
And heroes fall.
You saw that which is told but in tales.
You saw the harvest moon,
Shining over a bloody field.

You made decisions,
You asked questions,
You sought and gave answers.
Men's lives depended on you.
Some, you defended,
Others, not as well.

You made new friends,
Friends good and true,
Who fought along side you,
And fell far behind,
Dying in your arms.

You left your family,
Your home,
Never to see it again,
Nor your children.
Was it worth it?

The eternity ends,
One that can never be gotten back.
The bullet speeds toward you.
Was it worth it?