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an old veteran sits idly in a corner room,
wondering if the day will bring him more gloom.
injured in the war, he walks on crutches, and
even now, he can't even begin to understand.

can't understand why his buddies are all dead;
this lonliness often fills him with a sense of dread.
sits all by himself in an old veteran's home;
it is no wonder he often feels unhappy or alone.

his family has all but abandoned him, and he cries;
and to keep back the tears, oh, how hard he tries!
he has no friends here but a few doctors or nurses,
and he feels his life is filled with nothing but curses.

he knows he is alive, but at what price--
he's been beaten, once, twice, thrice.
he doesn't trust people, he's been beaten before;
and he doesn't know if he can withstand anymore.

he looks at his scarred legs, then at his crutches;
and anger is like a flame, burns all that it touches.
in his anger, he throws the crutches, starts to cry;
starts to wonder if it were better if he was to die.

a nurse hears the noise, runs into the room,
and her heart breaks at the sight of his gloom.
she sits down beside him, holds him in her arms,
and tries her best to turn on a sense of charm.

but the man is beside himself, he moans aloud;
"I'm a veteran, i fought for freedom, did us proud!
why should i be here; i want to be with my wife!
i deserve much better than what i get in my life!"

the nurse doesn't say a word, but she lets him cry;
and she knows how his heart is breaking inside.
for she knows how he feels; for her husband died,
died trying to keep the u.s. safe; and she cried.

her husband, a young soldier, died in afganistan;
and his death, she is still trying to understand.
went to war after september 11, protecting our land;
the attacks had been deliberate, carefully planned.

both nurse and old vet, dealing with heavy loss;
their seemingly happy lives covered with gloss.
underneath their brave faces are hurt and pain;
and their grief goes on, painfully, again and again.

let us not forget those who died or were injured, fighting to preserve our freedom; and for those veterans languishing in a hospital or a home, pay them a visit; they will be more grateful than you will ever know, and you will be blessed for it. let us remember ALL of our brave men and women, past AND current veterans, who chose to protect our country and its freedom! our freedom is ours to enjoy because of our brave men and women who proudly served our country and call themselves veterans.

god bless each and every one of our veterans, living and dead!