A Soldier's Plea

I’m a soldier, shaped by war. I know the guilt of causing another’s death.  
My faith has faltered, and the ideals I once held dear have fallen like the leaves of winter.
 
So, my love, let us find joy in the moments we have. Let us savor the simple pleasures – to eat, to drink, to be merry. Let us hold tightly to the passions that stir within us. Let us live for today, for tomorrow is uncertain.  
 
What else is there in this brief life but to follow the desires of our hearts without shame? Let the green stems of our passions surge within us and may we become as a tangled vine, climbing toward the sun.
 
When we return to dust, will the earth judge us for our indiscretions? No, it will remember only the pleasures of this night.