Last night, I dreamed

I dreamed I was soldier,
I ran to save my life.
Through tunnels long and dark,
Where I carried just a knife.
Too scared to keep on running,
Afraid to remain still,
How could I keep from fighting when,
It was fight or just be killed?

My men and I approached a hill,
Our first night in the battle,
A grassy knoll against the dark,
We ran like herded cattle.
Up the hill, doused in fear,
Chain link fences on both sides,
Like running through a shooting range,
To falter was to die.
The worst was yet to come,
Though not even half way.
I could see the sparking bursts
From a flamethrowers hot flay.
The utmost focus I would need,
To make it through alive,
Whenever I was licked by flames,
I went in for a dive.
I slid through all the mud,
I rolled across the grass,
Smothering the fire was,
How to make it past.
But as crew ascended
Running in a race,
The enemy threw water down,
To hinder us our pace.
Relieved for cool comfort,
We relished in the soil.
But they tossed us water
Less fresh and more a-boil.

And now we're bunkered down,
Seven months from the day,
Fifteen remain in line,
The rest, down we lay.
Stranded in territory,
So cruelly not our own,
We plan one last strike,
To escape this battle zone.
But as our coup rose up,
And the enemy fought back,
I knew we'd never make it,
Not through this last attack.

I closed my eyes and charged,
Into the very fray,
A bullet pierced my arm and I,
Woke up to face the day.