The Snake War

The South African,
A seasoned veteran
Of numerous
Military campaigns,
Was assigned
To a squadron
Of Iraqi guards
Bivouacked near
The Iranian border.
Late at night,
After everyone had
Settled in,
One of the Iraqis
Thought he saw
Something move,
And proceeded
To shoot at it
With his AK-47.
Instantly the whole camp
Erupted with gunfire
Going in almost
Every direction.
No one knew
What they were
Shooting at,
Or where,
So they just fired wildly,
Hoping to fend off
The presumed attack.
Fortunately,
No one got hurt.
When they figured out
Who started it all,
He told them
He thought he saw
A snake!
If there ever was a snake,
It was long gone
By the time
All the commotion
Died down.
In his twenty years
Of military service,
The South African
Had never witnessed
A more compelling example
Of the necessity
Of military discipline.