Stanzas: Monthly Chapbooks August 2015 (Collaboration) | Page 17

Countdown
Dan O’Malley
She didn’t know rain could sound so heavy.
But then, that’s what happens when rain can burn and melt.
A simple team, for a complicated job.
12 Good and honest soldiers.
11 Men.
10 Wives back home.
9 Kids to get back to.
8 Promises to come back alive.
7 sigils collected.
6 Didn’t see it coming.
5 Fought back.
4 Were dead before they fell.
3 Took a few down with them.
2 Made it out of the battle field.
1 Woman made it home
With 11 stories to tell
To 10 Wives
To 9 Kids
And 8 broken promises.

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