The Battle Within

Poetry From the Front Lines

Image: Alexander Mils via Unsplash+

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My dearest love,

I write to you from the edge of eternity

This battle feels endless as it rages on.

I fear I will not make it until the dawn.

*

I left your side to fulfill my duty,

Turned my weapons within,

Faced the darkness inside.

Letting go of the urge to hide.

*

Stardust and galaxies separate us now,

I go to a place no one else can follow,

Deeper and deeper into my soul I dive.

Facing the abyss so that we may thrive.

*

I grip my weapon tight, explosions light the sky,

Bullets and shells, crafted from trauma and pain,

Familiar memories, sent in painful volleys.

A stark reminder of all my past follies.

*

For too long, I have let you suffer,

Healing my self-inflicted wounds,

The enemy in my sights wears my face.

I will not let it take another shred of your grace.

*

I will rise above the bloodstained ground,

Passing the corpses of who I was before,

Burying them deep but carrying their scars.

The future is not theirs; it is ours.

*

To battle I go as the sun breaks anew,

One last fight for the sake of it all,

No more attrition, this ends today.

I will no longer simply hold it at bay.

*

Remember me when I’m gone,

I’ve loved you from the start.

If I do not survive this fight,

Know that I fought with all my might.

*

This is not goodbye, we’ll meet again,

I send this letter with a steady hand,

If this is my end, I do not fear it.

With all my love, your kindred spirit.

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Thanks for reading! Here’s Your Musical Pairing

Try listening to this song after reading, the same way you’d have a glass of wine with dinner: