A Veteran Is One

In Honor of Veteran's Day 2014

A Veteran Is One

A Veteran is one who deserves to walk tall

And wear a hat with his service proudly displayed,

So that we, the Grateful, can shake the hand of a hero

And say a few words of thanks.

A Veteran will always stand at attention to salute our flag

And will drop tears at the National Anthem.

We, the Served, should do the same

Instead of texting or looking bored.

A Veteran has a quiet reserve

That holds vast memories of wars,

Of friends lost, and horrors untold

That we, the Defended, can never understand.

The Veteran is one with a hole in their heart

For comrades gone, lives disintegrated,

And a lack of understanding and compassion

From a few sad examples of we, the Foolish.

The Veteran is one who fills the hole

In the hearts of those who love them

Those who know the waiting, the praying

That we, the Families, have brooked.

The Veteran does not demand respect

Yet commands it simply by being

A Veteran.

Loved and cherished always

by we, the People.

Carol Bartlett Channer

November 2014

Author's Note

Feel free to share as we approach Veteran's Day