No Man's Land

The orders came at two a.m
At dawn the first wave would advance
As prayers were said the notions fled
Of honor, glory and romance
By three o’clock their guns were firing hot
Unleashing hell upon their foe
At four fifteen he joined the line
And waited in the snow
At five we checked our gear again
The morning sun was rising then
I called on God but found no words to say
I felt alone and terrified
Though somehow, somewhere deep inside
I found the strength to face that awful day

At last the call came to advance
So up and over they all climbed
A cry went out from three thousand men
Whose destinies were surely entwined
He should be running down the winding lane
Toward the home he left behind
But now he’s charging toward uncertainty
And all goes dark within his mind
There is a girl who waits for me
Whose smiling face I faintly see
Her hair was all of gold and blue her eyes
If I could find my way back home
I’d swear that never more I’d roam
These fields that roll ‘neath dark and angry skies

The day wears on and yet we fight
The killing goes through the night
And all we gain is a bloody patch of ground
I’m wounded yet somehow I’m alive
I’ve seen such things, I doubt I’ll survive
Now I’m so lost I doubt I’ll ever be found

Dark angel of woe comes a’knocking, I foolishly let him in
He gave me a lock for my heart in trade for all the light within
I offered him more if only he’d show me one vision of you
One cannot bargain - with evil