A Fighting Man

To my dear uncle fighting in Basra,Iraq....

Peter,
My dear uncle,
I hope they treat you well,
And you keep your head down,
Because I never knew you,
And since you have left,
I know I could,
Before it is too late,
If only war was neater,
And no one had to kill,
But in my thoughts you dwell,
Fighting in A deserted town,
Standing among the few,
Brave enough men,
Fighting because you are told you should,
The rifle and bullet hold your fate,
Your tired eyes stare.
As the enemy fires at will,
How much oil will you sell?,
For the hungry crown,
I hope your heart stays true,
Battling in the dragons den,
In the sand,dirt and mud,
Not for hate,
But because you have a family who care,
Firing at an empty window sill,
Against the so called terrorist cell,
Your cover is blown,
But I am so proud of you,
No matter what might happen,
You are doing more than I ever could,
I await your departure date,
With the stories to share,
And no more gun to handle,
One day we will remember who fell,
But to you I wish I had shown,
Everything that I do,
Every moment that felt like a win,
And from now on,
I know I will,
I know I have good family blood,
And i think of you over there,
Wishing you had known..