Poetry

Serenity Valley

Welcome Fellow Soldier, to Serenity Valley.
I should have said that ages ago, we've been here so long,
I’ve seen you stand tall, I saw how you fought,
But somehow I haven't talked to you before.

We were sent here to hold this gorram valley,
And hold it we did, for five deadly weeks.
The Alliance said they'd take this valley in less than a day,
But we made them eat those words.

Many of us fell, but we claimed our share,
We made them pay dearly for every inch they took.
For a while I though that we might hold them back.
But through sheer weight of numbers, the Alliance pressed on.

Still we held on, we all stood our ground.
Praying and waiting for our Angels to arrive,
To fly through this valley, wings ablaze,
And spreading death like glory.

They never came; they said it was too hot,
And they decided to surrender, to throw in the towel.
They told us to lay down our arms, to wait for extraction,
They'd sign a peace accord, and then come to retrieve us.

So we waited for them, we waited for weeks.
Those who thought that war was bad,
Now know that peace can be far worse -
Waiting for aid that just will not come.

We had injured and wounded, and not enough food.
Some of us gave up and died, while others fought on,
Against wounds and diseases, and against other men,
Fighting over the last of the rations.

We buried you today, my friend, fellow-soldier,
Down by the dry creek. As nice a place as any,
In a Valley of Death such as this.
And they called this gorram place Serenity!

It's the fifteenth day since we surrendered,
And finally help has arrived.
We've lost the war, and most of our men,
But still we have to go on.

So my fellow-soldier, I have to go now,
I wish I could leave this terrible place behind,
But once you've lived in Serenity Valley,
You carry it forever with you.

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