I Cry Alone

In the paper, on the news, each day there is another Article relating to another fallen brother Each eulogized for what they did and how they were so brave A nation mourns their youthful death, salutes fired at their grave I watch as everyone bemoans the needless loss of life And gives support to mothers, dads, a husband or a wife To help them mend their empty hearts, sooth the grief they feel Giving comfort where they can to help the families heal I'm grateful for the love they get, their help do not bemoan But I too have an aching heart as I sit here alone You see, I also lost a son, the center of my life The little boy I loved so much, his loss cuts like a knife He was not a soldier, his country did not serve But even so to die so young, he did not deserve My boy was an addict, the scars of drugs he bore He tried so hard to shake it, he fought a private war You will not read about him, no medals will be hung No glowing declarations said, no praises will be sung The nation will not feel a loss, though my life is undone He'll always be my hero, he'll always be my son Many families have suffered the loss of a child, regardless of reason. It is how we treat that fine line between the soldier and the "all others" that I hoped to express.. Their families grieve no less. P.S. This poem was not written from personal experience.