The soldier boy was sitting calmly underneath
a tree,
As I approached it I could see him, beckoning
to me.
The battle had been long and hard and
lasted through the night
And scores of figures on the ground lay
still by morning's light.
"I wonder if you'd help me, sir", he smiled
as best he could.
"A sip of water on this morn would surely
do me good.
We fought all day and fought all night
with scarcely any rest -
A sip of water, for I have, a small pain in
my chest."
As I looked at him I could see, the large
stain on his shirt
All reddish-
mixed in with Asian dirt.
"Not much", said he, "I count myself more
lucky than the rest
They're all gone while I just have, a small
pain in my chest."
"must be getting old.
I see the sun is shinning bright and yet
I'm feeling cold.
We climbed the hill, two hundred strong,
but as we cleared the crest,
The night exploded and I felt, this small
pain in my chest."
"I looked around to get some aid -
only things I found
Were big, deep craters in the earth -
on the ground.
I kept on firing at them, sir. I tried my
very best,
But finally I sat down, with this small pain
in my chest."
"I'm grateful, sir", he whispered, as I
handed my canteen
And smiled a smile that was I think, the
brightest that I've seen.
"Seems silly that a man my size so full of
vim and zest,
Could find himself defeated by, a small
pain in his chest."
"What would my wife be thinking of, her
man so strong and grown?
If she could see me sitting here, too
weak to stand-
Could my mother have imagined, as she
held me to her breast,
That I'd be sitting here one day, with this
pain within my chest?
"Can it be getting dark so soon?" He
winced up at the sun.
"It's growing dim and I thought that the
day had just begun.
I think, before I travel on, I'll get a little
rest……….."
And, quietly, the boy died from that, small
pain in his chest.
I don't recall what happened then. I
think I must have cried;
I put my arms around him and pulled him
to my side.
And, as I held him to me I could feel our
wounds were pressed
The large one in my heart against, the
small one in his chest.