Keep low, they said

Stay alert, stay alive

The sun withholds mercy for fools on high

I learned to breathe like the stones of the earth

Face down in dust and humility before fire

Once you go too far, that silhouette defined

Too brash, too tall, too loud your skylined

Shadow is mercy, silence is kind

Every light that shines will always run out of time

I saw him on the crest, rimmed in gold

The death of the dusk, drew, his in kind

One breath, one squeeze, and he was gone

I tell myself he should have known better

I tell myself, sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Soldier

Keep your head down, soldier, don't give them a sign

Don't telegraph your life across the line

Don't be the flares in a dark design

Here, seen then gone, skylined

He meant well, God, he meant well

Thought the world needed to know what was done

Stood tall before the lights and dragged the shadows into the sun

He didn't fall to bullets, he fell

On the truth

We all glow on the ridge at night

Thinking no one sees the light

One flare, one easy move, one honest line

Skylined

Keep low, stay alert, stay alive, keep it tight

Even angels burn in that kind of light