You Should Be Here, Sergeant

We finished the fight, Sergeant. You were supposed to be here. You'd shout above the engine's roar, Boots braced against the dropship floor. Two sticks, one rock, that same old tale - You made us laugh when courage failed. You never swore we'd all come through; You just stayed where we could see you. You came back from hell so often, We forgot you had to bleed. You should be here, Sergeant, Giving us hell, Telling one more story We already know too well. You got us through the fire - Now what are we supposed to do With all these years you gave us That we can't give back to you? I was a child when Harvest burned; You held the line; the freighters turned. Now there's a child who calls me Mom, Who thinks that thunder's just a storm. She draws us standing in the sun. I wish you'd seen what you had done. I was your enemy. You made room beside you anyway. I will not forget. You took the blast, then raised the gun; Still saving me when strength was gone. Her blue light rested in your hand; You barely breathed your last command. You asked for thunder, not a prayer - I gave you fire. I left you there. I did the job. I made it through. I'm still not done with losing you. You should be here, Sergeant, Giving us hell, Telling one more story We already know too well. You got us through the fire - Now what are we supposed to do With all these years you gave us That we can't give back to you? A new recruit froze under fire; I heard your voice come out of mine. One filthy joke. A shaking smile. I stayed beside him on the line. You never swore we'd all come through. We know what you would have us do. You should be here, Sergeant, Giving us hell. We tell your worn-out stories - And we tell them pretty well. You got us through the fire; Now we'll pull the next ones through. We'll spend these years you gave us Doing what we learned from you. You should be here, Sergeant. We still save a place for you. I'll keep going, Sergeant. But you should be here.