I am a wounded warrior.
I fought and I fought and I fought.
Left behind friends and my family,
To the battle gave the best that I've got.

Loaded out by the light of the sunset,
Marched on in the blanket of dark.
By the raging boom of the mortars,
I saw the horrors of war clear and stark.

We lost twenty odd men in the first fight.
The next week, we lost fifty or more.
So goes the life of a soldier,
Such is the fury of war.

The winter was cold, unforgiving.
I longed for the warmth of my home.
But a promise to fight is a promise,
So I continued to brave the unknown.

Each twenty four hours more hellish,
Pushing on in the worst of the dregs
Watched my best friend in an instant
Holding what was left of his legs

We marched on for what seemed forever,
as the enemy kept getting bolder.
In one of the fiercest of all the fights,
I took a shrapnel blast to my shoulder.

From there I was done on the front lines,
And you'd think I'd be somewhat relieved.
But back home I just walked into loneliness,
to hurt and to suffer and grieve.

I am a wounded warrior.
I fought and I fought and I fought.
I would not wish my life upon anyone
Such is the pain that war wrought.