Submitted by: Joe Loomis

Category: Poetry

When duty calls and bags are packed,
All flights checked and emotions racked,
Tearful embraces no one wants to end,
Last glances glimpsed as they turn the bend.

The couch, the dinner table, and the bed,
Constant reminders of your loneliness unsaid,
Time moves so slowly it cannot be bared,
Your thoughts endlessly running scared.

You wait for calls and yearn for texts,
Video chats, emails, and even sexts,
You both try hard to be brave and strong,
But choked back tears break the throngs.

Life deployed is a double edged sword,
Fighting for those who cannot is just reward,
While too far away ones in need of soothing,
The ones left behind to keep life moving.

To love a veteran is not a task all can handle,
Your loved one often gone and life dismantled,
Birthdays, anniversaries, so many firsts missed,
An easier path cannot be easy to resist.

Your strength, love, and bravery fuel us each day,
The unsung power of our fighting forces in every way,
The sacrifices and loneliness you endure,
Until we step back on America’s shore.

Know that your veteran loves and cherishes you,
The free world silently appreciates all you do,
Know that your sacrifices are not in vain,
And that you are never alone in your pain.

Thank you family, loved ones, and friends of Veterans! You truly are the rock behind us all.

About the author:

Joe Loomis is an Army veteran, husband and stepdad.