The dark and swirling black cloud fills the sky with its noxious fumes,
Its caustic form stings eyes and darkens minds,
We arrived in expectance,
Hoping that our stand would weather the onslaught,
Yet we leave defeated,
And seem unable to find our place in this new world.

My chest is touching the ground and I look up into fear,
The blackness has swallowed the fading light,
Now, I can only see a spray of hatred,
The bullets of the machine gun flying in a spiral of yellow and orange;
A Catherine Wheel strafing the beach,
A knife slicing through the poisonous air.

A man is cut down next to me,
The bullet removes some of my flesh, and all of his soul,
Behind me are the helmets of our boys,
A human caterpillar stretched into the water like stepping-stones.

A flash of sudden light,
And I will nevermore leave this wretched place.