My heart went out to the soldier prince –
How could anyone not love and cherish him?
For he has known sorrow to the zenith degree.
The wicked arrow of fate robbed him
Of who was too precious to lose,
But in his mother’s eyes, beautiful as they were
Was the conviction that
She would be ever near
To her younger son, the dear.
In remotest dominion,
The prince sought to leave his mark
Through ice, snow, sleet and rain –
He beat back the caustic acidity of wind
From pole to pole,
To savannah and jungle
And ploughed a caring way
In his heart, in his mind.
The memory and knowledge
Of the physical absent one –
One who had vowed
To be permanently close
Was in his dealing
With near-lost tribes.
Though the heat was soaring,
The mosquitoes and thick shroud
He sought his way in his mind.
There were two tours of duty
And the sad aftermath
Of military death and injury –
Long live the brave – who, in uniform or out
Protect our verdant lands!
Long live those who, in peril,
Receive such terrible physical
Moral and psychological injuries!
But our prince would not let
The sun go down too easily
Invicta games into play
And with custodians of valour consumed
With a drink, shared in solace,
Past knowledge –
And to a toast with a comrade
The soldier prince quaffed his fill
And watched the day fit dawn
In a silent hymn
Of praise and relief
-- Hagen Hopkins
