The Veteran

by brian francis

You’ve shown a nation just how to stand tall
In wearing the uniform, in hearing the call
You’ve shouldered the burden standing the line
Setting aside, the plans for life, of your design

We the people, as a nation, are grateful for you
In the way, you represent us, the things that you do
We know that you hold us deep in your heart
As you struggle there for us while doing your part

The scars that you bear in your body mind and soul
As you act on our behalf in obtaining our goal
The tears that you cry remembering what was done
That feeling alone, sudden attacks at the sound of a gun

The burdens you carry those that flash into the mind
Or just that sinking feeling that is there all the time
The terror that haunts you even after coming home
The feeling here among us of your still being alone

That suffering that endures for you deep, deep inside
Should be more our burden and so much more your pride
Discounts will be offered, and of course; an annual parade
In remembrance and in honor of the sacrifice you’ve made


Copyright ©2021 brian francis

Published by

B. F. O'Connor

Born and raised in the idyllic environment of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A rural paradise perfect for a roving childhood. Now living in the desert southwest, with a flock of parrots, a pigeon, and Three dogs.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s