The soldier boy was sitting calmly underneath the tree
As I approached it, I could see him beckoning to me
The battle had been long & hard, and lasted through the night
And scores of figures on the ground, lay still by mornings light

"I wonder if you'd help me sir", he smiled as best he could
"A sip of water on this morn would surely do me good
We fought all day and fought all night with scarcely any rest
A sip of water, for I have a small pain here in my chest."

As I stood and looked at him, I saw a large stain on his shirt
All reddish brown from his fresh blood, mixed with Asian dirt
"Not much" said he. I count myself more lucky than the rest
They're all gone, while I just have this small pain in my chest

"Must be fatigue", he weakly smiled. "I must be getting old
I see the sun is shining bright, but yet I'm feeling cold
We climbed the hill two hundred strong, but just upon the crest
The night exploded, and I fell down, this pain within my chest

I looked around to get some aid, but the only things I found
Were big deep craters in the earth, and bodies on the ground
"I kept on firing at them sir, I tried to do my very best
But findly sat down, with this small pain here in my chest."

"I'm grateful sir", he whispered, as I handed him my canteen
And smiled a smile I think was the brightest I'd ever seen
"Seems silly, that a man my size, so full of zim and zest
Could find himself defeated, by a small pain here in the chest

What would my wife be thinking, of her man so strong and grown
If she could see me sitting here, too weak to stand alone
Could my mother have imagined, as she held me to her breast
That I'd be sitting here one day, this pain within my chest

"Can it be getting dark so soon"? He winced up at the sun
"It's growing dim, and I thought the day had only just begun
I think that just before I travel on, I'll get a little rest...
And, quitely the young boy died, from the pain within his chest

I don't recall what happened then. I think I must have cried
I put my arms around him, and pulled him to my side
And, as I held him to me, I could feel our wounds were pressed
The large one in my heart, and the small one in his chest.....