Freedom Is Not Free Poem by Lizzy Scott

You stay up for 16 hours,

We stay up for days on end.



You take a warm shower to help you wake up,

We go weeks without running water.



You complain of a 'headache' and call it sick,

We got shot at, as others are hit, and we keep moving forward.



You talk about your buddies that aren't with you,

We know we may never see any of ours again.



You complain about how hot it is,

We wear our heavy gear, not daring to take off our helmet to wipe our forehead.



You get mad at the waiter for getting your order wrong,

We don't get to eat today.



You're mad that your class got held five minutes over,

we're told we will be held over an extra 2 months.



You roll your eyes whe your baby cries,

He gets a letter with pictures of his new baby, wondering if they'll ever meet.