Dancing With Ghosts
by Michael Doyle

In spaces where war is thought of as glory
There are legends that make for great story.
Those of us who have fought for our nation
Know this as a fantastic conversation.

Around the fire, it's meant to endlessly inspire
So that in battle, we will not tire.
At least not so much as to give up the fight,
As endlessly as it can last into the night.

We find ourselves moving toward
The fights and ever forward,
All so we would never be flanked.
The marks of battle reach truth fully ranked.

Death comes too often at our completion.
It often comes quietly and without apt explanation.
At least, not the acceptable kind,
But the truth found can leave you half blind.

Though it's easier not to think or feel,
The worst truth is that some monsters are real.
They strike quietly n the silence of the night,
And are gone before the morning's light.

On the back country pathways,
Can be evaded for many days
We hide away our treasures in a hidden cave,
Keeping away the memories we live to save.

When we begin to live our nightmare
In the day, we begin to forget why we care.
Maybe that's the thing of war we miss most,
The way we find ourselves dancing with ghosts.

(c) March 19, 2026    Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved