The soldier saw
reddish-orange blood pouring out
of his enemy’s chest
as he thrust his glossy sword
deep inside.
Reddish-orange, the color of the setting sun,
he thought, pointless.
For the first time, he looked into his
enemy’s face. Was he 17 or 18?
His hands numbed and bones quivered as he
imagined his youngest brother
soaked in reddish-orange blood.
Another enemy lay beside the young one,
like crushed leaves,
his dark crimson blood reminiscent
of the sky before a storm.
What is the color of my blood?
he wondered. What did he fight for?
Expansion? Race? Religion?
A vulture sat in the stench of blood,
her mouth purplish-red,
jaw dripping,
observing and waiting.
Suddenly, scared of all the red around him,
the soldier dragged himself out
of the battlefield.
His helmet and sword slipped away
in search of a better warrior.
His legs strolled where his heart led and
he stopped in front of a monastery.
He knelt with force
as the monastery bells rang,
his knees brushing
the hard rock below.
He found that his blood
was reddish-yellow
like a scattered autumn leaf.
He lifted his eyes
as the sun broke through the trees
illuminating his path to peace.
Wow that is so wonderful 😊the realisation that no matter what our race, color or breed, all of us have that hemoglobin in our blood, of the same color. What and why are we fighting for, when at the end of everything what we long for is peace.
Beautiful message 🌷
The soldier, in his confused state, imagines that people have different colors of blood and associates them to the elements of nature. Ultimately, his life takes a different turn. It is a poem based on the medieval period. Thank you so much, Samreen, for the encouraging comment.
Thanks so much for your explanation, I understood that already 🙂 I just perceived and wrote about what an underlying message could be in there. 😀 Anyways, loved it as always. 🌷 Have a good day🌼😊
Thank you, Samreen:) I much appreciate your visits and comments in my blog. Have a lovely week ahead.
Always a pleasure 🙂 Thank you and you too have a wonderful week ahead🌺🌼
Lovely!
Thank you, Madhuri:)
Wow!!! How powerfully you portrayed the fact that soldiers are mere boys which is such a frightening acceptance. And how this young man found peace is fantastic. War is NOT the answer. Love is.
Thank you so much, Amy, for reading and empathizing. Many people may say that this is not practical in today’s world. But, one can still hope and wish for peace…
I can just imagine it! Powerful and glorious!
Thank you so much. Appreciate your comment.