(This poem is dedicated to those that died for the American Cause)

The low drone of the transport ship
The light crash of the parting water
The heavy breathing of my fellow soldiers
The low mumbling of mixed prayers
I look about but see only fear, yet light dim but steadily growing
This is my only comfort
Mixed emotions render my thinking
Fear, panic, and yet an inner calm
The captain walks in, stern and confident
"Drop in two minutes" captain looks at each soldier, then walks
out
My heart begins to pound, a cold sweat overcomes me
Now a distant sound of random popping and an occasional explosion
The captain walks in fully geared
He takes his place at the front of his squad
Suddenly he grabs a hand hold, the ship jars
I lose my balance, as I catch myself I see the transport front begin to
open
The light from the early morning sun is darkened by thick black smoke
The beach covered with lifeless bodies
The door fully open, a spray of steel rain fills the air
Suddenly a scream, then darkness
I run disoriented not able to see
I feel myself lose my balance and splash into the shallow water
The water clearing my vision, I see myself looking towards the darkened sky
I lift myself up, water tainted red, screams of horror, crying for help
Again steel rain, I now run towards whats left of the beach
An explosion throws me astray
I land hard behind a small crater
The Ocean now in my full view
I see whats left of my transport ship
It is beached, my squad is no more
The ocean is filled with numerous transport ships
Beyond that ghostly cruisers barrage the beach
The men on those ships awaiting the same fate
The smell of gunpower now strong in the air
Machine guns going bezerk
I look above the mound of dirt that sheltered me
The back of the beach was like a wall, the hill rose twenty feet or so
On top of that hill German soldiers wait, not a fear in the world
Suddenly, again steel rain is sprayed but this time in my direction
I pull my gun off my shoulder, I steadily place it on the mount of dirt
I lay a patch of steel rain towards the hill
A transport ship lands behind me, the door opening
I lay another path of steel rain towards the hill, trying to give them
cover
As I turn back to the transport I see a few already on the ground
The others desperatly running for cover
An explosion rocks to my left, I turn and see a fellow soldier
I jump up and run to the soldier, a trail of steel rain following my every
step
Again I face the ocean, the transports now of growing number
Soldiers fill the beach like a flood breaking a dam
The soldier beside me was silent, he only looked up, as if waiting for God
to take him
I yell "Medic" but my words are muffled by the constant firing
I glance to my right and see the recent squad of soldiers under fire
Again I get up, I feel my chest for a grenade
I find it, my heart pounding, I loosen it, then throw it towards the hill
"GET DOWN!!!" yells a soldier
All the sudden a spray of steel rain finds my chest
knives, slowly tearing through my skin
I feel myself falling backward
The world in a spinning blur
The ground meets my back
The grenade successfully explodes
My breathing becomming shallow
My hands meet my chest again this time to feel wet warmth
I pull my hand away from my chest, my life dripping from it
A squad of soldiers now come into my view
A dim picture begins to fill my vision
The soldiers slowly fading away
Green grass, a small house, blue sky, my home
The front white door slowly opens
A familiar woman steps out, my mother
A see myself as a child, running up the stone driveway
My mother has a big grin, gestures for me as the child to come to her
I do, my mother embraces me
My vision fades, again a new picture fills my vision
A large tree with the sunset colors around it on a little hill
The colors of orange, pink, and bright red gently burn the sky
A small tire rocks back and forth from the tree
Again me a little older walks into view, beside me a girl image
We reach the swing, holding hands we watch as the burning sky is slowly
being extinquished by the oncomming night
We turn to each other, I gently touch her cheek, she leans closer
We kiss, the burning sky now fully extinguished by night
My vision fades again
A very familiar place fills my vision now
I see a beautiful chapel with stain glassed windows
The seats are full with friends and family
Down the isle I see myself as a man, again holding Sarah's hand
I say "I do" and I see myself kiss Sarah
My vision blurs white
I now see a small white room, many people are in it
A faint cry is heard, I see myself holding my baby, Christina
The picture changes, I see myself dressed in my military uniform
Sarah is holding Christina and waving good bye
I see myself turn one last time
Our eyes meet one more time, then reality pulls me back
Back on the beach my vision weary, hand still on my chest
One of the soldiers leans toward me and says "You're gonna be
ok"
I hear another voice to my left yell "Will someone get a medic over
here!? Now!"
The firing has intensified and screams of horror and pain still fill the
air
My body contorts a little, and suddenly a spray of steel rain finds another
near by target
He falls beside me, I look at him steadily, he mouhts the word
'Peace'
His eyes roll back, and he lyes motionless
As the chaos intensifies, I feel my body begin to tingle
Coldness overcomes me as I struggle to breathe
My vision now going, I turn my head to the sky
A mad dog fight has broken out with the warriors in the sky
A bright explosion fills my vision and I watch as it steadily falls, falls,
and falls, just as my life.
The sky now beginning to grow brighter as if the smoke was receeding
I cough violently getting the taste of my own life
For a brief moment I see Sarah waving good bye with Christina
I take one last deep breathe, only hoping to ease the pain and anguish
I gently sigh, chaos gone, vision gone, and then....
Suddenly... Peace


 
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