Roadside bomb

My convoy continued to roll down the street,
My orders were to engage any threat we meet,

My attention focused on the boy with the gun,
My immediate reaction was to see if he’d run,

My senses heightened as we reached the hill,
My platoon leader ordered us to fire at will,

My vehicle was hit with round after round,
My body was shook by a deafening sound,

My world suddenly began to shiver and shake,
My situation was critical when I started to wake,

My ears were ringing and I could barely see,
My head was bleeding had pain in my knee,

My buddy was speaking but I could not hear,
My brain began to acknowledge the fear,

My situation was about to get down to the wire,
My lungs felt like they were still full of fire,

My thoughts turned to the man by my side,
My emotions peaked when I realized he died,

My eyes grew heavy from all of the smoke,
My mind was hoping this was a bad joke,

My pain was more than I thought I could take,
My tears were something that I could not fake,

My injuries were more than I could withstand,
My life as I knew it was now in God’s hand,

My grandfather told me to follow the light,
My desire to live was extinguished that night.