Shepherd

By Tony Daly

Child of innocence - Child of war
Another place, another time
You would have been
But it isn’t and you’re not

Too smart for your own good
All you wanted was to be a shepherd
The river where your sheep drank
Is now filled with led and blood

Your mind was quick
You were chosen for that
A runner, spy, warner
You could recognize the
Bulge from a hidden
Pistolet Makarova
From 200 yards

That day, you were all unarmed
Praying at a mosque
You saw them coming
The warning was on time
The air strike was early

Caught in an explosion
Concussed out and up
You are lucky
Broken bones heal
But your thoughts won’t

Already motherless
She became a slave when your
Mind was still forming
Now fatherless, and was it
Your fault? No, but
Does that really matter
To your trauma?

****

Tony Daly retired after 20 years in the Air Force Reserves, where he served as an Aerospace Medical Technician and a Unit Training Manager. His service-inspired work has been published in 0-Dark-Thirty, The Horror Zine, Clare Songbirds Publications, The Stray Branch, and others. Tony serves as an Associate Editor with Military Experience and the Arts. Please visit https://aldaly13.wixsite.com/website or follow him on Twitter @aldaly18.