Squire the Service Dog

I'm twenty seven years old Not, old by any standard But, in my world...I'm seven Seven years removed from an IED Seven years away from the day that changed me Seven years into my new life We were on a routine mission If you can call anything in Khandahar routine Convoy escort, some press folks A country singer and his band And us....always us We were Military Police Bringing 'em in, taking 'em home there we were, Same trip, same road same barren landscape same potholes same, same, same Until November 4th, 2005 Nothing has been the same since then I'm a Sargeant, Military Police William Blankenship Fort Hood, Texas...just a kid...until We were on Operation Squire routine....all routine The first humvee hit an IED flipped right in front of us the bus of civilians, stopped radio chatter like mad Rocket fire took out the Stryker LAV Blew it to bits No survivors We were pinned down We didn't return fire Couldn't....didn't know where to And had to get the civilians to safety We were only 2 miles from base LAVs were on the road immediately I don't remember much about it Just, that it was routine Started with the headaches took about a month Then, the nightmares Sent me back home to get over it To a Veterans Hospital in Texas Still saw the humvee flip Heard the screams Saw the fire, and watched the explosion behind And I wasn't sleeping anymore Couldn't handle bright lights for a time Still can't, but not as bad Doctors said it was PTSD I said, "you think?" What else could it be Two years they kept me in there Two years I saw them die Then...they hooked me up with a service dog New program they said He'd keep me relaxed I couldn't take care of myself And now, they want me to have a dog I said, I'd try it...but no guarantees Said his name was Squire funny....I knew that name from somewhere But, couldn't remember where Big, oafish, Newf he was Like a small fridge with hair And big, brown eyes Squire.... First day he just sat and looked at me Waited until I started to move And he moved with me Came over, and pushed his head under my hand It's been that way ever since I move, he moves I eat, he eats three times as much We bonded pretty quick I still get the dreams, but, Squire knows and he's there Under my hand, calming me down That's all he does, calms me down He doesn't take away the dreams But, he helps I don't know how But, he helps They still die, and I still scream But, not as often Just routine....