Suffering

thunder rumbled, cannons fire.
cannons fire, men scream.
lightning strikes, muskets fire.
rain falls, blood spreads.
rain falls, women and children cry.

earth rumbles, men march.
crickets sing, tents pitched.
TAPS plays, silence falls.

what madness possessed us?
father against son, brother against brother, families divided.
my God, what have we done?

dust rises, men limp.
empty homes, orphaned children.
women suffer, men recover.
homes destroyed, food gone.
relief for some, struggle for all.

some wounds never heal, but hopefully time and patience will help.