Who You Must Fear

As a regiment of musketeers are
Marching towards their battlefield
In what they believe as the final one
One of the youngest at the rear stopped
And looked back at their camps.

The captain noticed him and,
Pulling his reins to make his horse turn around,
He went back to approach the young one
And ordered him, "Get 'yer sorry ass
Movin' we'll fight a bloody battle."

The young musketeer replied,
"I was just thinking, captain,
If ever I'll be able to return to camp
With all my limbs intact
And all my fingers at place."

"It doesn't matter, lad,"
The captain replied,
"'Cause all you have to do is to
Believe in winning 'yer own battle
For our beloved motherland."

The young musketeer asked,
"Aren't you afraid of bloodshed, captain?
Haven't it entered in your mind
That we should not be fighting this war,
That there should have been any other way?"

The captain chuckled and answered,
"What'r you sayin', lad?
As much as we hate losing others in battle
We learn so much by fighting in them.
Haven't ye ever asked 'yerself
Why in these times of conflict
That we start to realize what are
Valuable to us as men?"

The captain reached the back of
The young musketeer's head and
Slapped it, and continued,
"One's courage can be used
Both during and after war, lad.
If you survive this, you'll be
Most enlightened. Now get 'yer legs
Movin' and go back to your line!"

The young musketeer stood tall,
Saluted his captain with his musket
And yelled, "Yes, Captain!"