Each day I wake to fight a battle anew
Sharpen my sword as the good soldiers do;
Devise a grand plan to kill the demons I meet
Chart out a course to move forward — or retreat.

At the end of the day I put down my sword
And take off my armor without a single word
Head on my pillow I dream a silent sleep
But in the heart of my heart, I lie down and weep.

I weep, for all of the demons that died
Killed for the malice that I could not abide;
And for those that lived to darken this place
The ones that got away — the ones I couldn’t face.

I ponder, silent, at the mistakes I’ve wrought
The lessons I’ve learned, and the lessons I’ve not;
I prepare for battle that approaches with dawn
For in just a few hours this night will be gone.

They ask why I fight, not stay here and sleep -
“Oh, what do you so sow, and how do you reap?“
But a soldier must fight, no matter the cost
To win every battle, knowing the war is lost.