I am a warrior without a war. 
I wonder what I'm fighting for. 
I hear the dogs of war cry out 
And cringe as children scream and shout. 
At times, I keep the tears at bay; 
I close my eyes and drift away. 
I pretend to be in tranquil land 
Where ocean meets the sun-drenched sand. 
I feel the sunlight on my face. 
I worry that I'll leave this place. 
I long to run along the shore. 
My conscience free forevermore. 
I understand I must return 
to watch as towns and cities burn. 
To see the fearful mothers stare 
and wonder what I'm doing there. 
To see the angry mothers cry, 
hold their children and wonder why. 
I lie concealed among the trees, 
My enemy I cannot see. 
I watch as friends beside me die. 
And as they leave, 
I close my eyes. running, running on the shore, 
drifting far away from war. 

Brian Clement Sullivan, Austin, Texas