Poem?

This is another piece of writing from my literature class. I think it is a little sappy but it made some of the people in class cry. Tell me what you think


As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I hear the voice of my friend, my brother in arms. He came here to fight for freedom. He signed up when the buildings fell. He will shed no tears today for me. He has a job to do. It used to be to free this land, now it is to get out alive.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see the man whose life I have taken. We are leaving this world together. He was fighting to save his land. How can we both be fighting to save this land? In a better world we would have a few beers and tell a few stories. I don’t know where he is going, but I hope it is a better place.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see the young boy in the mind field. He is looking for scraps to sell. He knows it as dangerous but it is the only way he can eat. I remember this boy. I gave him a candy bar. He did not eat it. He took it to his younger sister and gave it to her. Oh, he is so close to the mines. Please God, don’t take him today. Take me. But I suppose I am too far gone for bargaining.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see that man. I only saw his eyes. I still feel the hate. I still feel the fear. To him I was an animal needing extermination. These are the guys who get to you. So full of hate. I hope the next world is free from men like this.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see the woman, the one who would sell her self to me. Those sad eyes of hers. She was someone’s wife, someone’s sister, someone’s mother. I gave her all the money I had with me. The others laughed at me for not taking my turn. I hope that she has found a better way.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see the rich politician. He cares not for these people. He has not fear for the freedom of his land. This war makes him giddy, it makes his wallet fat.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see another politician. His heart is breaking as the numbers rise. He said yes to this war, when all he saw were the towers coming down. WMDs, WMDs, we must stop the WMDs. Then there were none. Free the people, free the people, he holds on to the only thing he can. But more people are dying and freedom seems so far away. The politician feels hopeless and unable to change the fate of this land.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see a yard full of yellow ribbons. Yellow ribbons on the trees. Yellow ribbons on the bushes. Yellow ribbons on the fence. Yellow ribbons tacked to the house. Yellow ribbons on any little flower that will hold them. It is Mom and Dad’s. They are so proud of me. But they want me home. They are praying now, like they always do for my safe return. I will be with them always, but I will never walk the sidewalk to their house again.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands:
I see them. The two of them together, my daughter and my wife. They are making cookies together. They are laughing and free. I am glad they will never know that this was the exact moment. I would not want this moment to be destroyed. They are having so much fun. What I would give to walk in that door from a hard day’s work. My daughter would run to me and leap into my arms. My wife would wink at me from the kitchen while drying off her hands. My daughter would know who I am. Now I am just the man on the phone. I wonder how long it will be before they know.
As I close my eyes and feel my life slip through my hands, I feel my life slip through my hands.