I leave today .Perhaps forever .I walk down the path that leads from our front door to the gate at the end .My new army boots crunch the gravel beneath my feet .They feel stiff and hard to walk in just like the rest of this costume I wear .All soldiers are required to arrive in uniform smartly dressed ,no creases .Yet even with this uniform and the boots I can’t help feeling like one of my toy soldiers I use to play with as a boy .All dressed up but not really going to war .I reach the end of the path .I turn and allow a single tear to roll down my face as I see my mother and four siblings all squashed into the door frame Like a picture .They all smile and wave yet their eyes show their true feelings . As I turn to carry on I pray that I will see them again and that I will still be the boy who played toy soldiers all those years ago when I return .