A country to serve

As I sat on the

Four-legged piece of wood

With my hands and foot

Bound together with bloody ropes

That had seen many a struggle

My lips held together

With a tattered old rag

With all my hopes

Drowned in the sea of helplessness

With all my senses

Crying out in weariness

With all my pains

Lost in its own grievances

Amidst all this, memories flooded back

Like mist, into my mind.

Before I could react,

They captured me and took me

Took me to another world

The world of reminiscence

Lost, though I was

I saw many faces in that world

Those were familiar to me

I saw my mother’s face

Wet with drops of tears

But of joy or sorrow

I couldn’t make out

Her soft hands outstretched

I saw her give her little one

One last tight embrace.

Then I saw my father’s face

Beaming with pride

He left me with these words,

“If your fate tells you

To do your nation good

And if you have faith

Then I have faith in you, dear child,

I have faith in you.”

Then I saw the merry face

Of my dear brother

Whose words, though unsaid

Expressed through a wink

And a pleasing smile

Filled my heart with warmth

Kindling it with glee and gratitude.

But these were mere memories

Of the day that altered my life

The day I had left home

And gone far to serve my country.

As I sat alone there

Bound to that wooden chair

Little was not the effect

That these memories brought in me

They stirred my pride

Filled me with courage

Empowered my tendons

Surging in me, the feeling

That I have a country to guard

And her children to serve.

I summoned all my strength

And broke those chains

That held me bound.

I set my foot on the ground

Looked at what lay ahead

I took those long painful steps

As I have a country to guard

And her children to serve.