Quoted By:
Silent Echoes
They march to the front, hearts heavy with dread,
Into positions where many have bled.
A commander observes the grim routine,
"They go to the positions once, and if they survive,
They never return.
They either leave their positions, refuse to go into battle,
Or try to find a way to leave the army."
In dugouts deep, they weather the night,
On duty around the clock, devoid of light.
The enemy advances; they hear each tread.
"The days are long; they live in a dugout,
On duty around the clock,
And if they can't shoot, the Russians have an advantage.
They hear them advancing, and they know
That if they had fired, it wouldn't have happened."
Rotations delayed, relief a distant hope,
"The record is 20 days," one soldier notes,
Exhaustion etched deep in lines on their coats.
testing their scope.
Three years immersed in unending strife,
The echoes of war consuming their life.
A sapper reflects on the numbing refrain,
"After three years of this war,
Everything feels the same."
Dima stands amidst the shadows and dust,
Bearing the weight of lost brothers' trust.
He steels his heart, a shield grown cold,
"I've now made the decision
That I will stop getting attached to people emotionally.
It's a rotten approach, but it's the most sensible one."
They carry on in endless night,
Bound by duty, devoid of light.
The final whisper, a muted cry,
Under a bleak and starless sky.
