My America

[Theldios]

Your cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain
next to his dog tags.

He knows he may not see some of his
buddies again.

You walk down the beach,
staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets,
searching for insurgents and terrorists.



He's told he will be held over
an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and
set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is
a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your
girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and
smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and
wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government,
and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent
tortured and killed by their own people

and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the
war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs
and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media
wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around
him.

You are asked to do some thing
by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told even
if it puts his life in danger.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home,
sleep,and eat.

You crawl into your soft bed,
with down pillows,and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars

and helicopters all night long.