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