By LongJohn
I’ve never been much for churches,
but I’ve said a few prayers
in the rain,
in the dark,
and once or twice
with my face in the mud
wondering what the hell
I’d done with my life.
So, here’s a gunner’s prayer —
plain,
unpolished,
and true.
Keep the lads steady,
the sights clean,
and the Number One calm
when the world starts shaking.
Keep the layer sharp,
the loader quick,
and the signaller awake
even when he swears, he is.
Keep the rounds dry,
the fuses honest,
and the gun behaving herself
long enough to do the job.
And when the smoke settles
and the echoes fade,
keep us humble enough
to remember why we’re here
and who we stand beside.
If there’s mercy to spare,
give it to the young ones —
they’ve got more to lose
and less to hide behind.
As for the rest of us,
we’ll take whatever comes
with the same stubborn pride
that’s carried the regiment
from the first gun fired
to the last.
Amen,
or whatever word
a gunner uses
when he means it.
Feb 8
Feb 8, 2026 at 7:50 AM UTC
By LongJohn
I’ve never been much for churches,
but I’ve said a few prayers
in the rain,
in the dark,
and once or twice
with my face in the mud
wondering what the hell
I’d done with my life.
So, here’s a gunner’s prayer —
plain,
unpolished,
and true.
Keep the lads steady,
the sights clean,
and the Number One calm
when the world starts shaking.
Keep the layer sharp,
the loader quick,
and the signaller awake
even when he swears, he is.
Keep the rounds dry,
the fuses honest,
and the gun behaving herself
long enough to do the job.
And when the smoke settles
and the echoes fade,
keep us humble enough
to remember why we’re here
and who we stand beside.
If there’s mercy to spare,
give it to the young ones —
they’ve got more to lose
and less to hide behind.
As for the rest of us,
we’ll take whatever comes
with the same stubborn pride
that’s carried the regiment
from the first gun fired
to the last.
Amen,
or whatever word
a gunner uses
when he means it.
I rarely ever muttered a word that sounded like a prayer, but I learned that a gunners faith is forged in rain, mud, and moments when the world shakes harder than your hands. This poem is my plain, honest offering a hope for steady lads, straight sights, dry rounds, and the humility to remember why we stand where we do. Its the kind of prayer you only say when you mean it.
