Have you ever been into any war?
World war? Civil war? Cold war?
Have you ever carried a gun on your shoulder?
And blood of a newborn baby in your heart?
Warmth of your wife’s goodbye kiss in your lips?
In the swamps of a foreign land?
Have you ever managed to keep fire’s heart in icy ribs?
A few photos of her
And air tight orders of your commander
In a same pocket?
Have you ever been into a dilemma of
Being a husband and a soldier at a time?
A father and a soldier at a time?
Only those who return alive from the battlefield
Know what a family means.
Life is not an avalanche painted in a cozy room.
Bio of the poet: Chandra Chapagain writes in both English and Nepali and he is interested in Literature, law and history.