"What is War Like"

A friend posted this on a forum I frequent and he gave permission to share.

I've had this question asked of me by some friends and family back home. In the process of writing the reply it kind of started coming out as more than just an email. So I drafted it a couple times and ran it through my head a couple more. This is about the third version.

Imagine your worst nightmare,
Where a thousand things are happening all around you,
And you control none of it.
Imagine being in a room with hundreds of people,
Yet you know not one of them, you are alone.

Far away, your family, your friends, all think of you, wishing for your safe return.
But you can no longer see there faces, only the faces of the dead.
Your enemies, your comrads, the innocents caught in between.
Lifeless, staring at nothing. You can never forget.

Violence and death, pain and bloodshed.
These things surround you, cover you.
You can never seem to wash it all off.
You balance life and death on the edge of a knife,
And the reaper dances gleefully all around, asking you to join him.

You cling to hope, you cling to your weapon,
You cling to your brothers and sisters in arms.
These are all you have. You press on.