A Soldier's Freedom Poem by Clayton Anderson

I once knew a man with a life of stories to share;
But none he’d ever tell you;
For him, they weren’t actually there;
Though decorated proudly, much more than twice;
His walls were barren and bald, and absent of life;
One night we were chillin, drinkin a couple of beers;
And out of nowhere rang a sound, some old familiar fears;
The sliding glass shattered, and it fell to the floor;
As we both reacted, there appeared a hole in the door;
Time passed slowly, it seemed like eternity;
But when it all was over, there remained only me;
Within a few words he explained his part;
His time as a Soldier, how war had tore him apart;
He asked for forgiveness, for the pain in his soul;
I could feel the darkness coming, I knew he’d finally be whole;
I looked into his eyes, and his last breath fell;
The one thing inside them, was his fear of hell;
But in that moment, that small fleeting of time;
Something deeply touched me, and his life, joined mine;
I felt his regrets, and the need to atone;
It was in that night I watched, a Soldier fall, in his home;
Wounded, Retired, and long past his prime;
A young and wild child, had ended his time;
It’s even as I tell this, with a tear in my eye;
I smile and know, he wouldn’t want me to cry;
For it was that very moment when he forgave himself;
For all the things he did when he was asked for help;
Now every day I wake and I look out to the world;
I can see the ease of accepting only that it is cruel;
But after that comes clarity in an uneasy heart;
Because everything we’ve done, is so YOUR day can start!