The Keys To Survival

The Keys To Survival

Bright white lights; curtains closed for comfort,
Tonight's the night; it's certainly the number;
November 11th, as fitting as snug blankets,
Remembrance of blessings; splitting the smug banquet.

This was the last time, he opened his eyes, "Come closer, please hear me"
Oh how it's all flashed by, broken in cries, I took hold of his hand dearly
“Do tell, Stanley, you know how much I love your stories”
“Even when they're boring?” His humor roared 'till the last torrent.

Though, his look began changing in an instant; serious contemplation,
Mysterious, locked in patience, emotion ranging with insistence,
Voice drained and gaining distance, I knelt close, “Please go on, I'm listening,”
The sweat on his forehead glistened, his words meeting with resistance,

“I'll start at the beginning...”

https://image.ibb.co/hXpULw/keyskeys.jpg

“William was...ambitious, we knew he was corporal quality,
First to arrive, last to leave, to us his regimen was a horrible oddity,
At first we poked and prodded, never gaining any reaction,
Till the day he saved our lives, it's been ingrained inside my actions...

He paused for a sip of water...

We became pinned in a church tower, surrounded beyond relief,
Beams were crashing around us, pounding down to the streets,
The enemy entering the stairway, we had minutes, maybe seconds,
He smiled before he left us, “You know, I always enjoyed your jokes,”
And with those words, he broke, through the hall he began sprinting,
Yelled, “Go now and take the window,” that's when we heard the click of a pin,
The explosion that followed is something, I can still feel it within,
Knowing he sacrificed himself, so that we could make it back to our kin.

“Oh Stanley...I'm so sorry, dear...”

“Charles was a joker, Christ, he'd make knees go weak with laughter,
He pulled the biggest pranks, never minding what happened after,
Took his punishment in stride, he'd say “A smile is all that matters,”
Washing dishes, cleaning crappers, to him, the fun came with his pride.

On a typical Tuesday, we'd been tasked with tending to patrol,
We started taking fire, from where? I'll never know,
I was struck in the shoulder, swung violently to the ground,
Gunfire kept erupting - somehow I was protected, but I'll never forget the sound,
When our team eliminated the enemy, I crawled backwards, looking down,
Charles had given up his body, for me, and in his blood I was now drowned.

"Stanley... I... I don't know what to say..."

"These men, I called them brothers, loved them all as so,
They were the keys to my survival, and I've continued to let them know,
Every Sunday evening, I took flowers to their graves,
Without them, I'd be dead, my road is one they've paved,

Please keep up the trend, memorialize their flawless deeds in bliss,”

And with that, his last words were “I love you”, then he made me promise to honor his wish.