COMBAT VETERAN

Their souls have been bathed in fire and blood
They are haunted by ghosts of the past
These are the modern warriors
The battles they have fought will not be the last
Those who survived will always remember
The souls of the dead won't let them forget
Sights and sounds of the jungle
Choices that led to honor or regret
Memories of the horrors they faced
Cling to these who have returned
They try to ignore and forget the images
That in their minds have been permanently burned
Innocence is the first name on the list of dead
In one tour of duty they gain a distant stare
The children who shipped out return as old men
Looking for an enemy who is no longer there

Copyright ©2005  Leah Hall Slootweg