I wrote this when I was sixteen years old. It was copywritten in 1990 with hundreds of others, but this one I am most proud of.
I Fired the Fatal Shot
I know not what is being writ
I know not what to say
So I’ll put my feet in a soldiers boot
And put my heels away
I’m staring at your picture, Love
It’s faded, old, and torn
It brings back memories of better times
And thoughts of times not born
Your picture brings me happiness
It’s my only source of peace
The troops are moving out, Love
So my memories I release
I’m yanked back to reality
The firing stars anew
The blood is thick and deep this time
And the living are the few
Orders, orders, shoot to kill
It’s either them or you
There’s choppers flying fast and low
Why is the sky so blue?
I feel the rifle in my hand
My enemy’s eye to eye
It was I who fired the fatal shot
It was I who watched him die
No one gets a burial
Few wounded return to base
The captured never return at all
But I will leave this place
God, the water’s cold today
But our tracks we have to hide
I turn and “Hey, where’s Charlie?”
He was walking by my side
The bushes offer slight protection
The enemy’s getting near
Don’t they know we have advantage?
Do these people ever fear?
Another battle has ensued
Another life is lost
What’s the price we soldiers pay?
What does freedom cost?
I look my enemy in the eye
I stare him in the face
It was I who fired the fatal shot
I will leave this place
We must keep warm by huddling
A fire would show our camp
The moon shines bright the air is cool
The ground is getting damp
I take my turn as lookout
I hold their future in my hand
In the other is my rifle
I hope God will understand
I hear the rustle in the woods
Could this man be friend or foe?
Shoot now, ask questions later
I fired the fatal blow
My hands were meant to hold you
My lips await your kiss
But my hands have taken many lives
Was I born to live like this
Finally a break in action
The troops are cold and pale
The enemy retreated yesterday
And today we got our mail
My Dearest Tony,
I know you’re in a battle
Do you realize so am I?
My life is naught without my love
And every night I cry
I never want to hurt you
But I must do the best I can
There’s no easy way to tell
I love another man
I thought that I could wait for you
That I could wait for your return
But time was love’s own bonfire
And I just watched it burn
There was no good time to tell you
And never will there be
I’ll cherish the love we used to share
But, Tony, I’ve set you free.
Another battle has ensued
But there’s no life that’s lost
As a lover I pay the price
A heartache is the cost
I’m ripped back to reality
The bullets are whizzing past
I don’t know what the pain will be
But this battle is my last
I feel the rifle in my hand
My enemy’s eye to eye
It was I who fired the fatal shot
It was he who watched me die
Written by Lynlie (Ott) Bacon
copywrite 1990
Awesome
Thank you, Kendall. Hard to believe that was 46 years ago. LOL