Sestina

From the hill top the General watches the rising sun
Watching the sun mingle with the night
All is quiet except for the birds taking flight.
Preparing for another day on the run
Memorizing the field of green
A whistle breaks the morning silence.

Soldiers awake with an uneasy silence
Darkness still around but with a glare of sun
Here there is no green.
The camp fires smolder from last night
It looks like Samuel went for a run
Either that or he took flight.

Clothes and armed the men take flight
So long the morning silence
With boots strapped on the men are ready to run.
While marching they watch the rising sun
There is no dark night
Instead they approach the field of green.

Approaching shadows cover the green
Some soldiers wish they could take flight
But they know they will be lost by night.
The pounding drums disrupts the silence
Now high in the sky, shines the sun
Aligned and ready, nowhere to run.

Men march at a slow run
Trampling over the field of green
The men begin to sweat because of the sun.
There is no time to take flight,
Canons firing all around take away the silence
Every man prays to make it to the night.

Huddled together, covered by night
To weak to run
The camp moans and groans but mostly there is silence.
The fusion of red in the field of green
Made many men wish they took flight
Another day will come with the sun.

In this open field of green,
Courageous men refused to run,
Now they enjoy the everlasting sun.