War Is No Game

By Tanisha Sanvi

"Oh boy! Why don't you go? 

It is an honour to fight in a war 

And for a boy like you

Your glorious path will glow"

Said his mother

"Oh boy! Enlist your name

Not going to serve your fatherland 

Would be a great shame"

Said his father

They all filled the boy with patriarchy

And he said, "Yes"

He enlisted his name

For they all thought

War was a game

The boy, he went to the boot camp 

"Even if it was storming 

You mustn't stop your training"

The sergeant was strict

If you did it wrong 

You'd be beaten with rod sticks

The boy, he thought 

"It is for my fatherland 

I will do it right

I will fight!"

For he thought

If he cowers now

It would be a shame

The boy, he still thought

The war was a game 

Soon the truck came

To pick the boys up

"The war is right ahead

My courage should do me enough"

Thought the boy

The boy was scared yet excited

He didn't know what awaited him

As he marched with pride

Soon, he was on the frontlines

Inside the trenches

The bombs, they were dropped

The bullets were fired

The boy, he wondered why he came 

To a place like this, worse than hell

It was then he realised

That war was no game

The boy,

He saw his best friend die

The friend, he said,

"It was all my fault 

I wouldn't die from someone else's bullet

But my own knife"

The war still ensued

Leaving the boy to cry 

By his best mates side 

The boy, he sobbed

"I'll try my best to win the war 

And avenge my friend

Who's life they robbed"

Still scared he tried to distract himself

He said,

"Mama told me that food here is worth it"

But when he returned

To eat there was nothing

"Sleep tonight for

Tomorrow is another day to fight"

But how could they sleep 

While the bombs were dropping 

The boys, they woke up

To the sound of the sergeant shouting

"Wake up, you lazy asses!

The battle is about to begin"

The boys, they got ready 

With their guns

They were steady

And set to go

Anothe day, another battle

Despite how much they tried

Many boys and men had died

That night, while all others 

They tried to sleep

The boy, he sat in silence

Trying not to weep

For he had enough

Of the fight and it's violence

He went to the Sergey

And he said,

"I had enough!

I don't wish to fight

I want to go home tonight

Let your battle go on

Let the other die

But I can't see my mama cry"

The sergeant, he screamed

"You coward, stay here!

Your fatherland need you

You don't have the right to fear"

The boy, he went back to the frontlines

And he lost an eye

But still did he fight

Soon the war was over

They won the war

The remaining men that survived

Were happy but

Their souls were full of scars and fear

The sergeant, he said

"Put on a smile 

No need to tell them what happened there"

Soon the men

They say in jeeps

And put on their fake smiles 

And their fake joys

The crowd, the cheered on

For the brave men

"How bravely did they fight the French

Despite the harsh war

The still came out alive out of those trenches"

They all shouted

"Your glorious path has finally glown

Such bravery you all have shown

You all are so strong and brave"

For they didn't know how many bodies

Did they bury in the graves

Suddenly a balloon, it popped

A soldier, to his knees he dropped

"No more! I can't take it

Those bombshells and gun fires

Barely did I make it"

It was there when they all realised

What they glorified

Was a life of suffering

It was then, they were hit 

With the realisation

That the war was no game

But a brutal condemnation

By Tanisha Sanvi