He ~ a utenzi

He wore his uniform with pride;
Kept his brothers close by his side,
Being the friend, being the guide,
through trenches, trails, in all terrains.

At night he kept awake to see
if the men could sleep peacefully;
Come so far from their family,
Their sacrifice can't be in vain.

When the days of war are over,
medals are pinned on for valour;
In scarred souls, they will remember;
In silence, they will numb the pain.

Mindfills © 2024 for Murisopsis NPM Scavenger hunt #18 ~ Utenzi from Kenya

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Utenzi* – A Swahili form of narrative poetry comprised of any number of 4 line stanzas. Each line has 8 syllables with lines 1, 2, and 3 rhyming and line 4 having a different rhyme which is carried through all subsequent stanzas. a/a/a/b, c/c/c/b, d/d/d/b…. The theme of the poem should be epic battles, heroism, or feats of valor.