R.P. Infantino | Poetry | Every Soldiers Lament

R.P. Infantino is a published writer of essays, poetry, short stories, novellas, songs, and more.

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Every Soldiers Lament
by R.P. Infantino

War between two nations rage.

One soldier denounces his foe:
You are evil! Your ideology is misguided. If only you lived here,
on the side that is true and just and right, we would be comrades.
As it is, I must end your life before you end mine.

Across the battlefield, the opponent cries out:
You are the devil incarnate! It is your system of beliefs that are
skewed. You, personally, might be a decent fellow, but being on
the wrong side of righteousness, killing you first prevents you
from killing me.

So it goes with all soldiers and all nations, ad infinitum.

(Public domain photo unless otherwise noted).