Thank You Mr. Veteran

Thank you Mr. Veteran.
A salute to you,
Who have fought for our freedoms
To go, and come, and do.

Our children and grandchildren
Can have a future too:
A better chance at life
To make dreams come true.

Thank you for your sacrifice
In war and in peace.
And for all the miles you've trekked—
O'er land and the seas.

Thank you for the time you've spent
From your kith and kin;
And thanks for all the leisure...
Time that could have been.

So often I have wondered
What would make you go -
And "lay it all on the line"
For those you least know.

Pardon me as I confess:
"I don't understand."
But I know that it was for
The good of the land.

And to your fellow comrades—
Veterans like you—
Would you kindly pass the word
That I 'thank' them too.

Tell them that their sacrifice,
As long as we live,
Will be the most-noble gift
That will always give.
© 2011 Walterrean Salley. © 2021 W.S. Revised Version.

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Thought that, at some point, I had posted this poem at Simplesite - only to discover that I never have. Though long overdue, now is the perfect time to do so.

When writing this poem, I searched the depths of my heart for something to speak to the depth of the heart of every Veteran.

Though this poem addresses a "Mr. Veteran," I also have written a version that addresses a "Ms. Veteran" that I, likewise, will be posting.

© 2021 Walterrean Salley