Soldier

Polished silver barrel,
Glinting back with steel-gray eyes,
To accuse me of some undone crime;
As if understanding what is about to happen.

Pulse raging, searching for a way out,
My finger slips prematurely,
Jerking the trigger. Time stops;
The sounds merge into memory-

An agonized screaming melody.
All noise comes to focus here.
Somehow, I open my eyes-
But I'm afraid to see.