Soldiers coming home...a poem by Amelia E. Ryan

I see them in uniform,

 So handsome, so strong...

 US Flags on the shoulder... backwards to me, forward to them...keep going forward they say...

Nametags making them equal Stripes making them not,  

Where were they?

What were they asked to do?

Were they shot at I want to know, but should I ask?

Will they know I really care?   

Did their friends make it back... Or are they beneath us... 

Did they see things that will keep them awake?

Did they make lifelong friends? 

Did they discover Faith?   

They pick up their bags and walk off the plane... 

Folks applaud...They smile, just a bit very polite, but not comfortable with attention...It was their duty  

It’s heartwarming and makes me cry...They are so young

Now they are home, 

What’s next... 

Are they stronger,  or are they weaker? 

Will their families welcome them? 

Do they have family? 

Do they know I care?   

Do they know how many of us care ...... 

photo credit...The Appreciation Flag....decampbell