Other Side of Hell
by Michael Doyle

This isn't meant to discourage
But sometimes, true courage
Is found on the other side of Hell
When your eyes have seen enough to dispel

Any notion that peace can be found
Through the taking of lives in war
And when you've chased this truth around
Enough to know it can't be ignored anymore

There's been one bullet too many
And suddenly, you need to find rest
This isn't a multiple choice or an "any"
Answer that best completes this test

The plunked, discordant chords
Played through life's battered windows
Sometimes, it cuts deeper than swords
And reveals a soul formed inside the shadows

It's a lonesome trail to be on this road
As we find ourselves in our reflection
It's the story to be repeated as it is told
That most often, war is man's worst affliction

It is a sickened heart that bleeds
With every drop bearing the seeds
That plant this sacred cause of sorrow
Knowing that war will come yet again tomorrow

Every true veteran dreads this fact
That the power lies in the hands that do not fight
False bravado at the expense of others is an act
That does not stand the test of first light

(c)November 10, 2023  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved