THE NURSE AND THE SOLDIER
© David Stanley
Winner, 2025 Henry Lawson Festival Written Poetry Competition, Grenfell NSW.
The IED exploded, as the transport hurried past,
the vehicle took the full force of the evil roadside blast.
The vehicle rolled, they all were hurt, the soldier’s legs were lost;
the nurse admired their courage but lamented at the cost.
She looked and saw him smiling, he reached out to take her hand.
Then grimaced as the pain took hold, a pain she could not stand.
The nurse with deep devotion, said, “Don’t worry I will stay.”
The soldier now sedated – while their life’s force ebbed away.
The nurse stayed with the soldier, in a selfless act of care,
made sure the soldier’s pain was low – at least enough to bear.
The soldier did their duty, did their tour and gave their all.
Now torn, bloody and broken, and though legless – still stood tall.
The nurse’s uniform was neat, but covered in the blood;
a badge of their commitment – the nurse did all that they could.
No medals could replace the blood that stained the uniform,
the soldier lay and fought for life; a battle all forlorn.
The soldier was a mother, and her boy was 4 feet tall,
she couldn’t see a future playing tag, or touch football.
Her legs were gone; she knew she’d never be the same again,
as disfigurement and fear – only amplified her pain.
The nurse he was a father, and he knew the price of care.
He knew though far from home his wife and kids would still be there.
The nurse’s face was kindness and compassion in the war,
his wife and kids reflected in each casualty he saw.
The soldier lay in comfort; now in peace and now pain free.
The nurse had stayed on duty, his responsibility.
Her brave and loyal service, when the call came, she said, “Yes”.
His selfless acts of care, his contribution – nothing less.
She looked and saw him smiling, and he reached to hold her hand.
The soldier winced in pain; but knew this nurse would understand.
The nurse with tears he could not hold, delighted she’d pull through,
this soldier’s life was saved, for he’d done all that he could do.
Author’s Note: An ‘IED’ is an ‘Improvised Explosive Device’. A bomb constructed and
deployed in a nonconventional military fashion. They are commonly used at roadsides.
As well, not all nurses, even in the military, are female.
Return to 2025 Award-Winning Poetry.
Terms of Use
All rights reserved.
The entire contents of the poetry in the collection on this site
is copyright. Copyright for each individual poem remains with
the poet. Therefore no poem or poems in this collection may be
reproduced, performed, read aloud to any audience at any time,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise without prior written permission of the individual
poet.
Return to 2025 Award-Winning Poetry.