we had walked for days
unwashed, unshaven, tired
exhausted in mind and body
we needed shelter and rest,
as we approached the village
respite seemed at hand, but
we stopped
something was amiss.

we had fought and
we had lost and
were now in retreat,
our enemy in pursuit of
the remmants of our
once proud force,
yet still we stopped,
in these hill villages
you are first greeted by the dogs
then by the half starved children,
but now,nothing but silence
greeted our arrival.

our senses alert
we moved forward, slowly
then the smell hit us,
God, what a awful stench
of death and dacay,
of bloated bodies, young and old,
they had placed the heads
of our comrades on poles
eyes and tongues removed,
notes were attached to the poles
"go now heathen, go now
and never return to this
holy land"

we moved through the village
in silence, each of us within himself,
we had been spared
for what reason we would never know,
of our comrades that followed
nothing was ever heard,
strange thing to tell
but on leaving the village
the wind chimes began to chime,
I like to think it was the souls
of our comrades
bidding us farewell.