A veteran stands strong and tall,

They’ve risked their life, their friends, their all.

 

Some people may not agree with the war

They say it fights for the wealthy, and kills the poor.

 

Despite beliefs one fact remains true,

The soldiers fight through and through.

 

Soldiers go out into war,

they know full well what might be in store.

 

They go out knowing, they may watch their friends die.

They go out knowing bombs will rain down from the sky.

 

Imagine the terrors for a moment if you will,

In the quite, the dusk, the mists, the still.

 

A shattering bang goes off, as deadly weapons are fired.

You haven’t slept, or rested for numerous hours, you’re weary, starved, and tired.

 

It is in the mist, the fog, the dark grey sky,

This is where dangers of war lie.

 

When the sky the color once gray,

Will no longer stay in that tranquil way,

 

It is now peppered with terrifying oranges, blues, yellows and shades of blood red,

 The sign of fires, fired weapons and the numerous soldiers dead.

 

Two brothers, lay in the mud,

The football star, the classic athletic stud.

 

They grew up together in a house that can not be much unlike yours.

They threw hoops, went to school, received bad or good test scores.

 

They have parents waiting for news back home,

Maybe wives or children, surviving on their own.

 

They fight on knowing the times their loved ones will celebrate around a table or tree

Could not even happen if they didn’t continue this fight to stay safe and free.

 

 

Only one of the two siblings will arrive back home,

Witnessing things he’s never wanted to see, injured and maybe even alone.

 

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.

"It is honorable to die in the name of your homeland.” Your country.

 

These soldiers we owe our every last right,

They fight in the cold, treacherous, and damp dawns till long wintery nights.

 

When you see a soldier standing strong with his head held high,

He may be saying a prayer to the sky.

 

Praying his loved ones are safe and sound,

And that one day he will again see more than just bloodied ground.

 

The horrors and sights these soldiers will see,

Are more than I know I could ever expect of me.

 

When you see a soldier, or a veteran passing by,

Make sure to stop and give him a nod, and say hi.

 

They do not know you yet they stay strong and continue,

The least you can do is stop and say thank you.

 

For not all of the soldiers will return,

some witness homes, friends, families, or villages burn.

 

They see things that would rip at your heart,

Scar your mind and tear you apart.

 

They come back to this country to see a brighter day,

I’m writing this poem to simply say

 

Tell a soldier or veteran Thank you,

And not just on Veterans Day.