The Sniper's Journal

The Sniper's Journal

I watched a program about Afghanistan on TV this week.

It showed families morning their children

trying to make sense of it.

Trying to justify their deaths.

It showed a young man with death in his eyes

telling us he is a sniper,

telling us he has killed 19.

19 dead and written in his notebook

because snipers keep count.

19 dead and written in his notebook

because snipers keep a death journal.

And his father, who took him to a firing

range to learn how to use his pistol

before he went on service.

So he could teach his son to defend

himself at close range.

His father was proud.

His father is a sniper too.

It's their family trade.

And it saved his son's life.

It saved his life the day he pulled his burning

best friend from their bombed vehicle.

Another one to write in his sniper journal.

His sniper journal full of 19 dead,

no names,

no descriptions,

just how he killled them and where.

19 dead in the snipers journal.

By DiH

I know I have blogged this before but have put it wanted to blog it again as have send a copy to Mr R.