AN OLD SOLDIER

AN OLD SOLDIER

There is an old soldier standing at attention
as the stars and stripes pass by on the street.
An old soldier salutes when the National Anthem
is played and who sheds a silent tear when
the sound of Taps rings out through the village,
followed by the sound of another bugle -
that echoes the notes in a haunting tone.

There is an old soldier who served in Korea,
who joins the Honor Guard and attends funerals
to honor the men and women who served before.
His time well-spent honoring families, a tribute
for he has not forgotten how to honor and support
the young men and women who serve today
to ensure our safety at home and our freedom.

There is an old soldier who was at Pearl Harbor
who still recalls the bombing and loss of life.
An old soldier that talks about his experiences
so that others will take pause and know of
the sacrifices that were made before and after
an unprovoked attack began on the shores
of a beautiful Pacific island one day long ago.

An old soldier has documented the horror of
the concentration camps, a memory which time
cannot erase from his mind, or the minds of others.
He vows that as as long as he can speak and write,
he will not let the generations which follow be unaware
of what can and did happen in a country far from
the shores of a blessed and free America.

There is an old soldier who knows that there are
many who come back home to face the future
with a desire to make the world a better place.
To see an end to war, one day, is their dream.
He watches as the young men and women
go off to war, knowing that they chose to serve
in the shadow of old soldiers such as he.

There is an old soldier who served as a medic,
who risked his own life to save others, no thought
of the danger he was putting himself in and
giving them the emergency care desperately needed
so that they might survive the bullets and bombs.
He reaches out to those who came home
with prayers of thankfulness and comradeship.

The young serve - with honor, pride and dignity.
God bless them and bring them home safely
so that one day they may also stand at attention,
salute the flag, honor the fallen and be willing
to support the troops who follow in their footsteps.
America! It is ours to honor and defend -
We old soldiers stand together and pray - for peace.

Countrymom
1/14/09