by: Herman J. Mosteller, Jr.

Now they place into his gentle hands
This cursed instrument of death
Then place him in a forbidden land
As his life now shall tell the rest

All alone, forgotten, forlorn feel he
Far from his home his world is naught
For a fear that of as yet he cannot see
For still life has this new day brought

This soldier, this duty, sacred and sworn
Knows what is expected surely brings death
His belief so sure, this faith now borne
Now as to defend till his final breath

This night as it now so dark and cold
That a bright light its darkness looms
And so many men so brave and bold
Will now lay in a forgotten tombs

He rises from the ash and smoke
As yet death does it fill the air
The taste of his blood now he chokes
Yet to die now he will not dare

And the orders clear in his ears now ring
As he walks now he feels no pain
There is no joyous song for his heart to sing
Now he runs through the mud and the rain

For he sees before him, but another man
Mere flesh and bone and blood of life
Unknowingly, before him now does stand
The lone blind purpose of his strife

As he stalks now trained and ready
A soldiers task that is now at hand
With a painful heart, yet so steady
This final blow now shall he land

As he takes his final motion swift and sure
And his soul sees not what his hands portray
For this mans final breath shall mean no more
But then what he has been sent for this day

Now he runs again into the night, the darkness
Pain of his limbs and wounds now beg for rest
He now does collapse into the nights caress
For knowing in his deed he hast done his best

As the morn' now show a solitude and joy
The soldier knows he has been granted life
Though few shall know his loss as a boy
Nor his forbidden curse of this eternal strife

Yet as he is honored, yet there is great pain
This Toy Soldier as bound true duty sworn
And from all joy doth now he painfully refrain
A boy turned man yet with no honor borne

The years now pass, wounds scar and they heal
All those 'cept for one now how he prays
With the pain still now felt, as his regrets do reveal
From the painful loss of my childhood days

"Me"