[ WP ] You are a soldier during WW1 . Write about your life in the trenches

France, July 1916 
 
 We've been losing junior officers nearly every day now. The new second lieutenant wo n't last long. Although he seems to keep his head down, so perhaps he'll do better than the others. He does n't want to be here. None of us want to be here. 
 
 I ca n't even picture what it's like in the forward trenches, it's bad enough back here. We're no more than a mile from the worst and we still do have to be on our toes. I hardly think any of us will survive. I'm trying to record everything but I'm tasked with keeping a look out most of the time. The lieutenant on the other hand keeps his nose in the books. He showed me a poem he's been working on, after some pestering on my behalf. It's an interesting piece about the journey over here. I'd like to see it when it's finished. 
 
 He's allowed me to call him John when we're alone. Sometimes we talk about things not of this world. Anything to pass the time or take the mind off the worst. I asked him what it would be like if one of us found our way to these imagined lands. I believe it would n't be much unlike traveling to a foreign land. You'd have trouble with the language of course, perhaps even the alphabet or whatever they used. Customs would be barbaric if not downright unintelligible. 
 
 Oh but the lieutenant had to make it really strange. He imagined the folk to be tall and lithe, living forever. What a lonely island that would be. Everyone lives forever? I suppose there would be no conflict, right? I'm having trouble picturing this place but it seems very firm in his imagination. 
 
 It's time to move. I shall write later. 
 
 -Tommy Atkins 
 
 EDIT: typos, clarity and repetition.
