The apple of their mother’s eyes,

The pride of their father,

A loving and caring sibling,

A crazy friend and a true lover.

The love for their motherland,

Was much more than these roles,

That they just gave up being bound to a family,

To become sons of their country.

They bared the difficult terrains,

The icy snow caps and

Fought hard with nature and enemies 

Just to keep her flag flying high.

Now they are here,

All resting, or rather put to rest,

Reduced to mere names on plaques

But with pride and honor intact.

The names inscribed 

Speak aloud of the unfulfilled roles,

Yes, a loss to dear ones,

But a tear of pride trickles down, 

As it is for the country.

Pic : Kargil War Memorial

Pic Courtesy : Annu V P