Reverse the Image.
Try as I might, I could not move.
I saw the knife, blood on my clothes. A pair of pale blue eyes had stared accusingly at me. I tried telling myself it was him or me. I wanted to turn the clock back. Talk to him.
Grabbing his jacket I had torn it. The photograph of him and his young family tormented me. It had been next to his heart, as my knife pierced it. Defending freedom should not come at such a cost… Then I recalled the bark of a gun. I fell beside him..
I wrote this around ten days back, a wiser man than I said “write what you feel”…
This Post Has 24 Comments
It is a supremely unnatural thing to do, to kill another person, isn’t it? You captured this well
Thank you Neil… When the war in Ukraine started, I want to stand up for Ukraine. But not by killing. I must find a better way, better words.
Dear Michael,
There really are no winners in war, are there? Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you Rochelle, I hope that Ukraine can survive and find peace again.
I think many of us find it hard to accept we are animals when push comes to shove.
See if I have commented more than once, I’m having tech issues.
That is true, thank you Tannille
No winners here, or in any war. Well written Mike.
That is so true, thank you Iain
Much is lost in a war. Sad that two innocent lives were lost in this story.
Both will meet in the other world and discuss about the futility of war.
Well expressed. Poor man had his family phone with him…
‘Much is lost in a war’ is how I see it, so many individuals with great gifts yet to be realised have been killed
Well-done stream of consciousness on a very disturbing topic.
Sadly I believe that warfare has destroyed far far to many gifted people, who if they had lived would have brought great things to the wider realms of humanity
Excellent story, Michael, really well written. Until we stop honouring killers and potential killers (i.e. soldiers), we will never have peace.
Thank you Penny, Sadly I believe that warfare has destroyed far far to many gifted people, who if they had lived would have brought great things to the wider realms of humanity
war is hell.
Is certainly is… Sadly I believe that warfare has destroyed far far to many gifted people, who if they had lived would have brought great things to the wider realms of humanity
We cannot, and should not, remain the same after harming or killing another or witnessing the killing or deliberate harm of another. Well written.
Thank you Na’ama, Sadly I believe that warfare has destroyed far to many gifted people, who if they had lived would have brought great things to the wider realms of humanity
(I’m not sure my comment posted so here we go again. Sorry if I did it twice.) You captured well the brutality of war. I also think of the tragedies that are occurring in the Ukraine. I can’t imagine the horror of it for the Ukrainians. Thank for writing this and causing us to think.
Hi Brenda, your comments are get through, war is horrific… I believe that warfare has destroyed many gifted people, who if they had lived would have brought great things to the wider realms of humanity
Well told. This soldier is unable to surrender his humanity. How sad that we train armies to do just that so that we can wage war.
Thank you Margaret, I do wonder why the United Nations did not send in a multinational peace keeping force, before the Russian invasion. I believe that warfare has destroyed many gifted people, who if they had lived would have brought great things to the wider realms of humanity
“Defending freedom should not come at such a cost…” You nailed it right there. For a supposedly civilized species, we spend a lot of time encroaching on and fighting with others for inexplicable reasons.
Inexplicable is truly right. Thank you for your insightful comments