16 miles

My big boot pushes the pedal onwards Black mobile, black rubber, black asphalt The road reaches to the ridge of the world Dressed neat and clean in brown camouflage Uniform folded sharp without fault My hair shaved close to the fragile skull Numbers on dials rotate slowly Tells me home is 16 miles away Family waits for the return of a son The mother cries to a father mad War is dark, and dark is sad they say I am that son which they want back And on I go in a town I dearly know Friends are dead or off in heated battle But now, at last I must escape Escape this settlement and old house Speak goodbyes to the many cattle Enclose a case of things essential Leave relatives behind for a trip A journey with questionable return Fear is with me but hope as well Now I must go alone to live my life I have tasks to crack and lessons to learn My vehicle drives far from family’s view I’m on my own to take a hero’s oath Where I go there is nothing holy No one knows how much blood I’ll see The road reaches to the ridge of the world The odometer rotates slowly Tells me home is 17 miles away