Veterans

I have stood at my friends side, clasping her hands as her sons body was lowered into the ground shattered dead at 22 shattered and yet under no circumstance would I encourage any children of mine to be military although it has literally saved the lives and provided direction for other young men and women I know and yet under every circumstance would my heart break if my child joined the military the sacrifice shattered I have sat at my grandfathers knee and heard about World War II and learned the humanity of experience not the cold history we learn in school limbs, lives, minds shattered I have sat at the kitchen table of friends returned from Viet Nam music blasting bongs smoking trying to forget filled with shame facing resistance shattered alcoholic returning from the service drug addicts shattered and still I am grateful for my freedom and love my country I am a patriot but you cannot have my child