Why I Fight Poem by Daniel Chapman

From one battle to the next, it feels like nothing ever changes,
Yet we stand our ground, carrying hope through the ages.
America keeps fighting until freedom can breathe,
Until every child is born knowing what it means to believe.

I fight for those who cannot, or choose not to stand,
So they can live freely in this promised land.
I fight so a voice can rise without fear,
So rights aren't a privilege, but something held dear.

You ask what we gain in return for the pain,
For the nights without sleep, for the loss, for the strain.
I fight for a future I may never see,
For my children, their children—so they get a fair chance at being free.

From the comfort of couches, through the glow of a screen,
Some say this war's just a money machine.
But out here where dirt meets blood and sweat,
We see a different truth most will never get.

So please don't judge us for answering the call,
For standing when it's easier to do nothing at all.
Instead of boos, lend your prayers and your thanks,
Because courage survives on more than just ranks.

I fight because quitting was never my plan,
Win or lose, I'll stand like a man.
And no, this life isn—all glory and pride,
It's fear, it's loss, it's tears we hide.

But still we fight until the last battle's won,
Until peace finally rises like the morning sun.
So ask me again why I fight with this might—
I'll look you dead in the eyes and say:
It's my God-given right.