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The Veteran

Alone he stands, amid many
His hunched back
Scars, wrinkled arms and face
Tell a story of one that who has
Seen too much
Lost too much

His uniform jacket hangs
On his frail frame
Medals adorn his chest
But they are not what
He is thinking of
But friends and family that
Paid the ultimate price
Their faces flood his mind
And a single tear runs down his face

One haunting trumpet note
Begins the tale of day's end, life's end
With each note the old man straightens and stands taller
Until the hunched back is no more
His chest full of emotion
Now fills his jacket

His wrinkled hand is now rising
To the familiar position of a salute
A salute to all of those that have gone before
He holds this pose, his hand trembling
Until the trumpeter plays his last
Note and the echo fades
Like a statue he stands
Until the faces come again and
Grief overwhelms him
Tears following the lines on his face
He crumples, his body folding in until he falls on his knees
His head against the white cross that bears his grandsons name

Iraq, Afghanistan, does it matter where he took his last breath
To the grieving man, no
Only that there will be no more

Thank you for sharing this, especially with our current situation. My husband in in the army, and my grandfather was a WWII veteran. This poem shows the side effects of multiple generations in wars, and it is very moving.

The poem brought tears in my eyes...such a beautiful heartfelt piece...reminded me of my uncle who was in army, and missed most of the important events in his children life while serving the nation...Thank you for sharing such a beautiful piece. ..

Thank you for sharing that. How can something so sad, be so beautiful?

Beautifully written and an appropriate tribute to all who have served as watchmen at the gate. My compliments!

Absolutely beautiful! As a wife of a military member, i hold this so dear to my heart. Thank you for sharing!