WHERE DEATH MET VALOUR

The acid night was like any other, a twisted tale of déjà vu

Blurring angst of the pouring rain, in darkness that bore through

A concoction of questions and riddles that fueled my crystalline doubt

Each step a little slow, every breath laboured as I moved about

The melancholy of the angry rain seeped through in subtle fury

My fate lay in oblivion with the dreary landscape and its morbid story

Every sound roared as thunder, every quiver let a serpent of fear flow

Thoughts of bitter loneliness in a vague nightmare crept through slow

In the din of impending danger my thoughts froze, profound and fearful

The training of ages past slipped my grasp in eluding shadows sad and woeful

“Enemy ahead” – the words from the first scout caught my senses in a frenzy

Death, doubt, fears clouded my being as every muscle twitched in misery

“Where was I-the enemy or the comrade?” - left me in a dark lonely hole

Click! Weapon readied, eager eyes scanned as every curve bore my soul

The darkness within and without engulfed the scene in an eerie silence

Was I blind, afraid or cautious, I could not perceive in absolute violence

The rain still poured its woes on mother earth’s belly

The fear still jiggled my senses like evil jelly

The darkness still merged every shadow in a macabre spell

Weaving a tapestry of dilemma and blindness in a silent well

Utter nakedness stripped me of my deepest fears

Helpless, immobile - the soul let out a crippled tear

Momentary lapse of tactics in a starless sky

Temporary grasp of fearful agony in a two faced die

I couldn't run – the image of a leader haunted me

I couldn't act thoughts of losing a comrade let things be

Surprise my only armour was withered and dying

As streaks of mauve sent a blush into the purple sky

The dawn would soon make a sojourn of joy

Yet steal the purpose and density of a plan so coy

In utter arrogance I moved towards the enemy within

Crawled, crouched and slithered to commit sin

Blood shot eyes over hung laboured breath

As muscle made way through cover in stealth

In a matter of time I moved in towards the house

As fear and impending danger in my soul arose

Kaboom! Followed by a blitzkrieg of flying lead came my way

With cruel intentions to make that my last ugly day

Yet providence in all sincerity saw me to safety’s home

And pulled me out of the guerrilla's impressive kill zone

In sheer panic I squeezed my fearful grasp

Just to let out bullets like a hungry wasp

In chaos they found their destined mark

And left me standing unscathed, tall and dark

In a moment of sheer blunder and terror

I saw my foe fall to death for one untimely error

As fate would play its cards, I stood there a hero

Only I knew how close I was to ground zero

First blood – first tryst with death on an oft walked track

Death meets valour, as they call me the hero of the pack

SUCKER PUNCH

 





In a self inflicted dream of guts, glory and more,
A boy took his steps into an olive green lore
Where he envisioned a knightly sublime life
With company of honour, glory and strife

His fantasies of war and soldiering brought him here
A step inside the training academy for more than a year
Where boys are made into men and men into a soldier
Where honour and sacrifice is planted into the beholder

Pain and exhaustion rip through eighteen months
With seniors and instructors adding to the mean brunt
Mercy is unheard of and toughness ensconces the soul
With every weary day gone by, building to the final goal


Like a solitary lone wolf, trauma of hard training he endured
Yet through all the misery, noble qualities had his soul cured
The Academy credo shaped character as officers and leaders
The Honour code nourished intolerance for liars and cheaters

On a bright day it was letters from the normal world
Letters from friends and family would put life on hold
And redeem the pain from days of sleepless exhaustion
Bringing in hope, warmth and love in its purest dimension

A letter from afar cost an eager soul 100 pushups and more
Yet, pleasures of reading ink was heaven for a heart gone sore
A phone call too meant the informer got his due treat
Be it sweets at the café or an extra omelet and meat

Life was of front and back rolls with hot and cold sessions
Till they see blood ooze or till you learnt your painful lessons
The horse, vaults and 10m dives loomed large and dreadful
With each class a battle against fear and redefining painful

Failures were living hell as every test overshadowed the next
All that was left to finish the race was a swim and ghoto the text
Some ran with disabled limbs, some with joints giving way
No one wanted to fail and have another term here to stay

Life with comrades was a fast flow of jokes so swell
With laughter and smiles even during what was hell
The toughest days went by like an old photo album
The best of buddies blossomed in the thickest of glum
The common pain spills out a man’s hidden evil and lies
Which breeds brotherly camaraderie and lifelong ties
The best of souls see their darkest shades and selfish whims
With a series of mental cauterization embracing their baptism

Then came time for each to walk a different path
Some longed for ease and some for the bloodbath
Each cadet went on and chose his best choice of arm
With peace and glamour flourishing over threat of harm

For many the fear, difficulty and separation were a chronic allergy
And drew them to greener pastures with better peaceful synergy
The ones with the boyish desire for adventure and raw energy
Went on and took oaths as infantry called out for a fear orgy


The ones who opted for the tough life in the harshest zones
Took the infantry dice and made everyday seem disaster prone
In leech infested jungles, deserts and torrid cold mountains
In terrorist infested lands with death and bloody fountains

As they uphold the intrepid warriors solemn pact to serve
Threats of life or limb, they face it with a steel cold nerve
Through hell, high water and storm they silently trod
To fight like brothers for country, freedom and lord