To a Veteran
Thank you for your faith
In the country you so love
That you’d offer up your life
In a cataclysmic strife.
Thank you for your courage
Although you shook inside.
You did all that was needed
No matter what the price.
The noise of guns and mortar
Convulsed the fetid air
You saw beloved comrades
Lie bleeding at your side.
You suffered pain and conflict
When required to kill another
Against what you’d been taught,
To love, not hate, your brother.
We call you strong and brave,
And admire your fortitude.
But the toll that it has taken
Is in your mind and soul.
To kill for love of country
And the freedoms we possess
Takes strength we can’t imagine
And thanks are not enough.
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