Senior Soldier

There’s a special job for those of you

Who go to war at fifty-two

To tend the flock and calm the fears

Of soldiers younger by thirty years

The senior soldier, that graying haired man

Doing the job no younger man can

With the sage of a father and the heart of a lad

Being a comrade as well as a Dad

Back home are your children and your loving wife

Bonded together by this change in their life

Your kids are in college or still in high school

Yet you serve with pride, that freedom might rule

And for the young soldiers, who serve by your side

Let kindness and patience be your guide

Though they are all trained to be brave and true

They still need your heart, as your own children do

You’ve gained great wisdom, as you’ve lived your life

From dealing with fears and surviving strife

For the soldiers young, the lessons come fast

You can offer them comfort as you draw from your past

So go with strength and pride, my friend

And when this war does finally end

Know that you did what no young man could do

You were a Dad to these soldiers, and a true comrade too

Sherry Gail Heim

January 20, 2004

Copyright © Sherry Gail Heim 2004