The truth is, I lost you anyway.
Your carefree smile and the way you laughed.
The sparkle in your eyes during good conversation or watching a sunrise
have given way to eyes that have seen the reality of some of the darkest of human possibility.
Your naiveté replaced by wisdom through experience and an understanding so raw it casts a bleakness over your once lighthearted smile.
The truth is, I couldn’t have stopped you, even if I tried.
A drive to serve.
A risk to pay the ultimate price to protect an optimistic future for all.
To honour your country and what it has to offer.
The truth is, your wounds aren’t visible, yet run deep.
Loss of fallen brothers and sisters leave a hole in your heart only ripped wider apart by a guilt of being
One of the “Lucky Ones.”
The truth is, you were prepared for heading off to war.
Years of training and preparation.
Learning tactics and how to keep yourself and your comrades alive when someone is trying to kill you.
You weren’t prepared to return home and settle back into a peaceful life.
The truth is, you did.
And even though I lost you, there you are.
Maybe not so easy to smile, but when you do I see the good in humanity.
A courage so strong, few experience it, and you.
Maybe different, but You.
About the Creator
A Fillmore
Challenging myself to be present in each moment, while creating a great life for future me.
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