War

Patriot
"Come on, Gabe. This is what you've been training for."
I try not to talk to myself but in some situations, you can't stop it.
The mind needs some persuasion from the mouth to force the body to walk towards death.
Trotting along the road of sand and bullet casings,
I tried to remember "home"
Anything to help drag my feet forward
Mom's cooking filling every Sunday with mouth-watering smells and satisfied silence
Dad laying back in his bulky maroon chair reading new books that all looked the same
Elisha's smooth lips brushing against my own
PKIH! PKIH!
Gunshots to my left interrupted my thoughts
Trembling, I walked forward, determined to do anything necessary for the freedom of my family and country
And muttered a soft prayer
"God, forgive me."

Enemy
"Come on, Jibrīl. This is what you're here for."
I tried to stay calm to avoid a panic attack, but I could feel my hands shaking around the gun they held
To remind myself of why I was there, I tried to think about home
Which was only a few yards behind me, curtains shut and doors locked
Umm's cooking filling each day with mouth-watering smells and content discussion
Ab laying back in his small wooden chair reading religious texts every evening
Alyasa's soft lips brushing against my own
PKIH! PKIH!
Gunshots to my right interrupted my thoughts
Trembling, I walked forward, determined to do anything necessary for the freedom of my family and country
And muttered a soft prayer
"Allah, sameehnee."