He was a warrior and a soldier. He was a man among men
A phrase I never fully understood until I met him
He was also a gentle guy when away from action
I remember being pinned down by enemy fire
He single-handedly took on the enemy and came to my rescue
We all called him “Buddy” because that’s what he was
Before we went to sleep in the bush
We would open our eyes
To make sure “Buddy” was there
It always made us sleep easier
We wanted to nominate him for bravery awards
But he would always turn us down
“Anyone would do it” he always used to say
It was on a training exercise that we lost him
We were using live ammo when it happened
An accident was the consensus
His funeral is today
His wife is broken
“Sorry” I whispered through my tears
“I forgive you” she answered gently
Many thanks
William
Poet's Corner 
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