The road stretched out before us
like it had a grudge to settle —
mile after mile of mud,
rain that couldn’t take a hint,
and boots that swore at you
with every step.
But we walked it anyway,
because that’s what gunners do.
No fuss, no drama,
just a steady plod
and the occasional complaint
to keep morale at the correct level
of cheerful misery.
The gun rattled behind us,
its wheels clattering like an old aunt
who never approved of anything
but insisted on coming along.
We shared the weight,
shared the jokes,
shared the aches that settled in
like unwelcome lodgers.
And somewhere along that endless road,
between the blisters and the banter,
we found a kind of peace —
the simple truth
that you’re never alone
when you’re walking with gunners.
At the end of the day,
when the boots came off
and the brew went on,
we’d look back at the road
and laugh at how far we’d come.
And tomorrow,
we’d do it all again —
because the road never ends,
and neither does the regiment.
May 18
May 18, 2026 at 9:23 AM UTC
The road stretched out before us
like it had a grudge to settle —
mile after mile of mud,
rain that couldn’t take a hint,
and boots that swore at you
with every step.
But we walked it anyway,
because that’s what gunners do.
No fuss, no drama,
just a steady plod
and the occasional complaint
to keep morale at the correct level
of cheerful misery.
The gun rattled behind us,
its wheels clattering like an old aunt
who never approved of anything
but insisted on coming along.
We shared the weight,
shared the jokes,
shared the aches that settled in
like unwelcome lodgers.
And somewhere along that endless road,
between the blisters and the banter,
we found a kind of peace —
the simple truth
that you’re never alone
when you’re walking with gunners.
At the end of the day,
when the boots came off
and the brew went on,
we’d look back at the road
and laugh at how far we’d come.
And tomorrow,
we’d do it all again —
because the road never ends,
and neither does the regiment.
This poem comes from memories of long days in the field, carrying the weight of the badge through rain, cold, hunger, and exhaustion. I wanted to capture the unspoken bond between soldiers — the humour in hardship, the pride in endurance, and the quiet determination to keep moving no matter the conditions. The Weight of the Cap Badge is my tribute to the resilience, loyalty, and spirit that lives within every regiment.
