The American Soldier

The American Soldier

The American Soldier
By: Tatjana Siggard

“You’ll die if you join the Marines,”
A young girl cries to her older brother,
“Someone has to protect this country,”
The man tells her,
“Let someone else do it,
Who’ll protect me when you’re gone?”
She asks as tears stream down her face,
“I won’t be gone long,
This is part of my destiny,”
He replies as he hugs her tight with all his strength,

Years later a call for war is made,
The country is afraid as things turn grey,
Time has called for change,
And the man is called to do his duty,
The young girl is now a young woman,
As much a patriot as her brother,
She’s terrified at the cry for war,
For now the man’s training comes to a test,
Now it is time for him to fulfill part of his destiny,
To fight for the love of his country,

The young woman doesn’t dare to let the man go,
Terrified that she may never see him again,
Will he survive, she doesn’t know,
Sorrow fills her heart as he walks out the door,
The time has come for him to defend her,
To keep his family safe and many more,
She knows this, but still can’t bear the thought,
That this may be the last time she’ll ever see him alive,
What would happen if he was caught,
A POW or MIA,

The man hides his fear as he fires at the enemy,
He keeps a wary eye open,
Enemy soldiers force citizens to attack the artillery,
At first the man didn’t know that’s who they were,
That is, until one put up his hands in peace,
With that fight done people came up to him and others,
They were grateful for these soldiers that are helping them,
Children come up and thank him,
People rejoice as they become free from terror,
The man smiles with gratitude,

A knock in the night awakens the young woman,
Her mother opens the door and begins to cry,
All the young woman could see was a uniformed figure,
She could only ask her heart why,
Sorrow filled her soul as she turned away,
Strong arms enfolded her,
To hold her as her body gave way,
Slowly realization hit her as she remembered those arms,
Her brother had come home,
He was home,

“You’ll die if you join the Marines,”
A young girl cries to her older brother,
“Someone has to protect this country,”
The man tells her,
“Let someone else do it,
Who’ll protect me when you’re gone?”
She asks as tears stream down her face,
“I won’t be gone long,
This is part of my destiny,”
He replies as he hugs her tight with all his strength.