Perspective

Perspective


I've spent a lifetime, so it seems,
in service to this land.
I've held, within my heart, the dreams
that freedom can command.

I honor those who serve today.
I understand the cost.
The price of service that they pay,
the moments that are lost.

So too, the wives who pay a fee,
who keep the family
together through uncertainty,
waiting patiently.

In ages past, when I was young
it all made much more sense.
The warrior's song I gladly sung
in liberty's defense.

Time has parted youth's thin veil;
I see more clearly now.
The larger picture has detail
I overlooked, somehow.

The value of a single life
now overwhelms, I find,
when wasted on some far-flung strife
not valued in my mind.

I'm leery now of leadership
and question motivation.
Their answers seem more like a quip
without any foundation.

I find it hard to understand,
in the name of peace,
how killing in some foreign land
will make the violence cease.

To those who serve, this oath I swear -
I will be your voice.
To those who lead, my fervent prayer
is wisdom in your choice.


An entry for March Round of "Honoring Our Veterans - Challenge" 

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even praise - are all equally welcome.