Living on the Strongpoint

Kandahar in 2012 15 clicks from any kindred else Mountains on the backdrop 'cross a poppy field Against the monotone brown, that this land yields Hot dirt and dust kicking up above A world and then some from the one I love Singing the songs we brought from Fort Bragg That old 82nd Airbourne rag It's up, up, up, then it's down, down, down Though we mostly wound up, feet on the ground Those HESCO walls in concertina wire Living on the strong point My brothers and I Our first mission, our hands were tied We crossed that wadi, half mile wide I became one with the rocks in that dried river bed Praying if they hit me, they make it clean in the head I can still remember, before we left the wire Feeling my heart pounding, heading into the fire We followed the minehounds, 7 months straight We didn't shower, we ate what we ate One day me and Marty trying to get through He said "Keep going, I'll cover you" We forged our bonds in invisible flame Living on the strongpoint We were one and the same In the Taliban hotel Down a mined alleyway 3 IED's Blew half of us away We were Atlas shrugging World on our back Carrying each other In our backpacks You find war is war And out of your control Just when you think you Can't do anymore I kept a picture Of a Navajo girl Tonight I hold her In our first world She's a source of warmness Her smile is kind Most of the time She's all over my mind Before echoes of the mountains Release my eyes I'm still living on the strong point My brothers and I