3rd February 2021

By - Tanay Parihar, 9th Grade

If I die on the battlefield,
Pin my medals to my chest,
Put me in a box and tell my mother I did my best.

Tell my father not to bow,
As he has to worry of me no more,
Tell my sister not to be upset,
As her brother will rise before the sun sets,

Tell my friend not to cry,
As I remembered them when I died,
When the nation slept peacefully,
We were on the borders fighting for their lives,

When the nation celebrated festivals with water and firecrackers,
We spent the day firing guns, hearing grenades blow up,
Mines destroying tanks and helicopters, Artillery guns destroying enemy posts,
And saw our companions dying in blood,

When the citizens take a two-month holiday desiring to travel in foreign countries,
We soldier ensure that they reach safely,
We take holidays once in a blue moon,
To go home to our loved ones.

When famous singers and people sing songs they like,
We shout war cries at the border.
When people attend parties, concerts and go to the bar,
We attend funerals and wreath laying ceremonies of our companions.

When the people are enjoying their life in their cosy homes,
We are there at the border,
awake in the trenches to protect their homes.

When the time comes when my box will reach home,
People will gather around my house,
Mourn for 12 days and forget about this day.

The nation pays respect at the death of our soldiers,
But forget it after some time,
They always remember the deaths of celebrities,
But we are not celebrities, we are Soldiers.