They showed me the shroud and told me why

A good boy will make an infidel die

“The ones who took our country away

And promised to give it back one day

Will never do what they have writ

We must force their hand and use our wit

To make them forever rue the day

That they should trespass out our way.”

I took the shroud as a good boy should

And wrapped in it, with limbs of wood,

Walked down to the metal gate

Where a score of infidels stood in wait

And seeing me, a bad man came over and he

Handed to me a small piece of candy

That I ate, and savored as I looked at the man

Eating chocolate with me from a small metal can.

He had twinkling eyes in sparkling blue

That lit up when he saw me, and I knew

He had no clue about the death I held

Tight in my hand: a cord pulled through

A hole in the jacket, to the blessing below

Which my elders had honored me to bestow

Upon the troops here laughing in a shared jest

As I prepared to send them to eternal rest.

We ate together, and shared his food

That I couldn’t avoid, it would be too rude

He reached a hand and ruffled my hair

Then turned back to his pals to share

The laughter at some unheard jape

But stopped and stared with mouth agape

As he saw my hand shake in decision

Revealing death to his ghastly vision.

We stare in an undying gaze

And I find a thing to amaze

Me in that moment we are lent,

I see that he too is a boy that’s sent

To do the job no man should ever be asked

And both here are stupidly tasked;

But I’m a good boy, and this moment is hell

So I pull the cord to kill the blue eyed infidel.