The perils that a soldier must reckon
He knows it all very well.
He keeps our spirits soaring high,
So much so that
Our pride in his beliefs begin to swell.
The morning comes pretty fast,
We aren’t prepared for the likelihood
That our soldier may not return home today.
Clouds of doubt precipitate and
Colour my consciousness grey, alas!
I want to believe secretly
Though in my heart,
Heart that wishes with might and strength
He will be back, sure he will.
And slap that crazy disbelief of the mind
Put it to rest and hope …
Hope with all the stars in counting
He will be home safe for a greater cause,
To begin again from where he left!!
Our soldier is unassailable,
He can swallow paper
If that is what is needed in the hour.
He’s not afraid of adversity
He braves notorious elements undeterred.
Looks at death with grace.
Fearlessly bound by duty
Bores bullet on his chest
Ensures safety of birds in nest
If there is anything,
We must say to a soldier,
It should be nothing
Of praise or of sympathy
He does not need it.
Heartfelt gratitude is the least,
We can offer to his being.
He doesn’t need flowers or songs,
Is it too much to ask for
The price that he pays
Not only has he put his life in jeopardy
There are lives interwoven,
Let us see and hear with a heart
Not merely eyes and ears.
We all must thank our soldier
For being that valiant one.
We are very proud here today,
You did us so.
The writer, who has been a teacher at General Raj School, is an author and poet based in Gurugram, Hariyana. She writes in English and Hindi. Her first poem was published at the age of 13 years. She can be reached @msanjusethi
