SOLDIER

I was that which others did not want to be.
I went where others feared to go,
and did what others failed to do.

I asked nothing from those who gave nothing
and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness ... should I fail.

I have seen the face of terror,
felt the stinging cold of fear,
and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.

I have cried, pained, and hoped ... but most of all,
I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.
At least some day I will be able to say
that I was proud of what I was ... a SOLDIER.