For Memorial Day in the US, and the Canadian Soldiers abroad

The Call

I heard the call upon the morn,
A clarion bell that woke me from my sleep.

On its toll I heard a voice say:
“You shall not turn nor look away from the pain and suffering of those who cannot hold against the forces of the world
For I am the voice of Freedom
And in my name you shall lift those who are fallen and oppressed.”

On the second toll, I heard a voice say:
“You shall stand in the fire of human misery
For I am the voice of Justice
And in my name, you will be a shield against those who care not what they take from the world.”

Upon the third toll, I heard another voice say:
“You shall stand with others to fight the darkness that would enslave men’s hearts
For I am the voice of Duty
And in my name, you will stand fast against the winds of doubt and fear.”

On the last toll, I heard a faint voice.
No words could be comprehended or understood.
It was a voice of loss and longing
That overshadowed all that came before.

And to this far off field,
I have answered the call of Freedom, Justice and Duty
To stand in defiance against the forces of injustice and oppression
And as my life bleeds away into this foreign soil
I hear again that final voice.

“Know me now, for I am the voice of Sacrifice
And in my name you have given up your life
To cast a light against the darkness that swallows all.
It was my call that you answered upon that morn.
To you, I sent the Others,
Not so that you would answer their call
But to understand why you answered mine.”