My Lasting Minutes

At eighteen, I joined the ranks of men,
Bound by duty, honor, and discipline,
With horse and rifle, we marched to the call,
Our hearts beating strong, ready to give our all.

On horseback, we rode across the plain,
In infantry, we trudged through mud and rain,
The challenges were many, the hardships tough,
But the camaraderie was strong, and it was enough.

In the barracks, we shared our stories and dreams,
Tales of adventure, love, and everything in between,
We laughed and joked, teased and played,
But never once forgot, the mission we were made.

The beauty of the land we patrolled,
The sunrise and sunset, the stars that glowed,
The moments of silence, the moments of grace,
The things that we saw, we could never erase.

But with beauty, there came also fear,
Of what lay ahead, and what was near,
The shock of death, the loss of friends,
The pain that lingered, till the very end.

Though I never want to repeat those days,
I cherish the memories, in so many ways,
The brotherhood, the discipline, the pride,
The lessons learned, that will never subside.

For those army days, were the best of my life,
A time of growth, of challenge, and of strife,
A time that shaped me, in ways I cannot explain,
A soldier at heart, forever I'll remain.