A Soldiers Reply

Man took a flight, he was finally coming home,
Feeling more relieved than any man has known,
He spent so long, in a place that most fear,
And when that plane landed down came a tear,


 Plane door opens still in uniform he stands,
Nervous and confused, about stepping back on home land,
He follows the others, checking each face for grief,
But all that he noticed was the faces had relief,


He steps off the plane and people were there,
The Soldier astonished could do nothing but stare,
They greeted him with open arms, a hug, and a sign,
That said thank you soldier, your life for mine,


 Soldier walks still in uniform, down the street,
He passes a man walking, he looks down to his feet,
The man looks to him and stops him in his place,
Only the Soldier and him, the man spits in his face,


Soldier again with a tear, he asks only why,
The man returns with an answer, a brutal reply,
I do not respect you for the things that you've done,
Soldier just listens as the man cuts him to none,


Soldier said Sir, can I show something to you,
Man says sure thats what you need to do,
He lifts up his shirt, hand trembling as it rose,
The man watched but with an upward nose,


The man looks down and in his sight he sees,
Three bullet wounds, as big as can be,
The soldier said Sir..now let me tell what these are,
Not freedom, not war, but everlasting scars,


Now Sir you may not respect me, but I do as I am told,
And each command I am given, I follow being bold,
Now these three bullets I hold with out fear,
Cause each one has a reason, those reasons I want you to hear,


He points to the first and says this ones for my family,
No one can take them from me,
Then to the second, he says with pride,
This ones for my comm rads and the ones that died,


Now Sir let me tell you what this last is to,
This is one is for my nation, my honor, and you,
And I want you to know that you may not like me,
But other soldiers and I, be all we can be,


Every wound I get I will cherish till I die,
Because other soldiers for you gave their life,
And I'll keep on fighting for eternity I pray,
So that you and my nation can live without fear each day,


So Dont respect me you have that right,
And that my friend is the reason I fight,
Now as the man listened he did not look away,
From those three bullet wounds he saw that day,


And when the soldier was done, the man sat quietly for a bit,
and then he did something the soldier will never forget,
The man looked at him with a tear in his eye,
He said please forgive me, I knew not the reasons why,


The Soldier with a smile, looked back at the man,
Said I am a US Soldier, I do what I can,
And as he walked away, his face still with a smile,
He said Thats what makes what I do worth while,

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Nathaniel Booker's picture

Truly a powerful piece detailed and vivid full both hurt as well as pride. You do this country proud with this piece. Anyone who ever wore the colors or carried the guidon knows that pride. These colors . . . the Red, the White and the Blue. . . do not run.

Great Write