SOLDIER

You do not see me, or know me.
When shit hits the fan;

I am called to die.
I freeze in the cold of night as I lay on you

my watchful eye—
Many fear us, many stand in awe

We hold aloft our heads,
We are aware the sky is falling;

So we stay down on earth, where we hear our duty calling—

And from the clouds we further fall,
Shocked and awed as we wake up...

Sirens blare
And people die; for brief moments, bullets look like fireflies

And in despair for us to come;
We stand tall to our nation: proud
From the dirt, I gaze upon a crowd;
Casually and with a wild eye;

Exhausted and worn as people pass me by;
And I hobble by the traffic: stressed out;
Over onward to the shade beneath a maple tree...

And crutch in arm, I rethink my creed:
We watch in the darkness;
So you are free.

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(This is a repost, I fell in love with this poem when I wrote it and rereading it still stirs me. My first time posting it I didn’t get much attention on it; not that it matters to me too much, but this poem comes from a strong inspiration)