The Battle Within

I happened upon a man sitting on the side of the road
His clothes were tattered and his face was furrowed
There was worry tattooed upon his face
Of happiness and hope there was no trace

I offered him some water and he drank of it deep
Then he dropped his shoulders and began to weep
A shadow of the man he had been before
His reasons to live no one could restore

He had seen more than his fragile mind could take
His life transformed into an unceasing heartache
After the four tours in the sands of the Middle East
The connection between his heart and mind had ceased

For him the world and the living were now external
The ghosts of his past were internal and infernal
Slowly any hope of his recovery had disappeared
He was no longer needed and budgets were sheared

Once proud and he was cheered for doing his duty
Now sitting alone and can no longer see any beauty
The thought of death once would make him tearful
Now it's life of which he is the most fearful

Of the horrors of war he'd witnessed therein
Seems the most terrifying battle is the one within
The fields of war he was able to leave behind
But in his mind the war remains confined

Photo: Banksy