I prayed,
Today,
For the fallen
And their families.

I prayed,
Today,
For the futility
Of the fallen.

I prayed,
Today,
For the families
Of all those forgotten
When the guns fell silent,
And political expediency
Overlooked
Where responsibility lay –
And who it was
Laid waste an entire generation.

I prayed,
Today,
For all those deserving,
And that those who are not
May face their shame
With the same zeal
That sent
Fathers, sons, and brothers,
Against bullets and bombs
To inevitable death.

I prayed,
Today,
That in times to come
Payers like this
Will be unnecessary,
And that the fallen
Can rest in peace
In the knowledge
That they are remembered,
And missed.

I prayed, today…