The soldier finishes digging a trench and prepares to fight as evening falls. As explosions erupt around them, he sees the new recruit praying in fear. When another shell hits, it kills the new recruit. Though injured himself, the soldier is determined to advance into no-man's land to fight, despite knowing this may be his last act. He charges forward but is quickly shot down. With his dying breaths, he sees the morning sun and recalls how bright the light was that morning when he began digging.

1. Last Hours in the Trench
Oh, how bright the light is,
in the early morning,
as the sun starts to rise.
I look down at my work.
The large, deep ditch that runs as far as I could see,
is nearly six feet deep; it is finished.
I drop my small and rusty shovel
and prepare to fight.
It is now late in the day,
but how late? I couldn’t really be sure.
As smoke fills the sky, and another shell*
lands not a yard from our forces.
I look to my right, and there’s the new guy,
eyes open wide and mouth moving silently,
praying to any God that would hear him.

2. and cries tears of sadness,
wondering why we’re here.
I’ll always remember the look in his eyes,
before another shell* ends his life.
I am blown backwards, and nearly lose my arm.
It’s time to finally take my stand.
I’m called to no-man’s land.
I take a drink of tainted tea,
knowing that this drink
would be my last.
I stand, and start to climb out of that accursed pit,
when I looked back at all the men.
All my brothers under one flag,
who were sitting in the mixture of wet mud and the blood
of those around them.

3. or I will die trying.
With a scream of anger and frustration
for all the pain I and my brothers have been put through,
I charge forward into the smoke.
I barely make it three steps before I feel
the metallic feel of bullets burrowed deep in my body.
I drop my weapon, and fall onto the soft ground.
I am facing up, barely breathing.
I will die now, says my soul
However, it is with my last breath that I see
the bright morning sun shining down to me.
Oh, how bright the light is.
*artillery shell