A day when many knew they would die, but they went anyways. They did because the believed what they were fighting for was a cause greater than themselves. This is why we call them the “Greatest Generation”. God Bless them all.
soldier
Distance
The thought of us being apart
Wears upon my fragile heart
But I know no matter how hard it may be
It will always be you and me
Our hearts will always be mended as one
Until our days on earth are done
The flame within our hearts will burn bright
Whatever the distance between us two
My heart will only beat for you
When loneliness becomes overbearing
Look upon the skies and stars we are sharing
Call my name upon the wind
With our souls intertwined
Answering back with a whisper between our souls
Sending my love back to you
Picture Credit: Pixabay.com
Far Away
Darkness as black as coal
Stars shimmer as the only light
A lonely outpost in the vast mountains
All around the enemy lurks in the dark
Plotting and planning to kill and destroy
Inside thoughts are thousands of miles away
Restless sleep as dreams of loved ones abound
Thinking of a wife, child or parents back home
Fear is a feeling that they hold down deep
Brothers in arms they must trust each other to survive
While outside the enemy plots to lay waste to their lives
A flash of light, an explosion rocks the night
Gunfire, rockets, bombs all around
The thoughts of country and home go away
Only thing that matters now is your brother on your left and right
The enemy comes wave after wave
Those dreams of home drift so far away
Seconds become minutes, minutes become hours
Fear and adrenaline rush through their veins
Explosions and shots all around
The fight for survival rules this ground
Silent prayers to God abound
Lord keep me safe and let me see my loved ones again
The enemy comes closer and closer, rage and hate in their hearts
The battle goes on through the night
Waiting for the vestiges of first light
Men cry out in anguish and pain
Unknown who will live and who will die
Loved ones back home awake from their dreams
Feeling an anguish at the gasp of a last breathe
Hearts once attached awake
Broken apart sensing their loss
Tears fall and bodies give out knowing their soldiers light has gone out.
Re-posted in honor of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in duty to their country and the families who have dealt with that sacrifice. May God bring you peace.
Remembrance to all who have fallen in duty to our country on this Memorial Day.
Journey Ahead
They say a journey always starts with a first step
Often when I take that step I trip over my feet
So I fall flat on my face
Instead of feeling sorry for myself what do I do
I pick myself up again and wait for that next journey
Hopefully this time I don’t trip
Wish me luck and pray that I don’t fall and get a fat lip.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Old Soldier
When do you realize it is time to settle
Taking your foot off the peddle
Deciding that it’s time to step back
When you are young you look forward to what comes next
Always pushing yourself to reach a higher level
Moving on from one opportunity to another
When is it time to realize those opportunities are dwindling
Time waits for no man they say
So when will I know that day
Taking that one last attempt
To continue a career that you love
So much says it is time to quit
Enjoy what you have done and stop doing it
Move onto the next stage of your life
Your body is full of aches and pains
Mind not as sharp, but still there most of the time
I am a soldier that is what I have known for over twenty-one years
Not done in my heart or in my head
A few good years left inside this old soul
Proving again to myself of my worth
What happens to old soldiers when it is time to go
As it was once said
Old soldiers never die, they just fade away
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Army Cadence – If I Die In A Drop Zone (Running Cadence)
This is one of the ones we use to sing as we ran. So if you have any other you would like to hear let me know. HooWah….
Army Cadence – Mama, Mama Can’t You See
When I first joined the Army, the most amazing thing I remember was hearing formations going by singing cadence. Here we were around 130 brand new recruits and we sounded so weak, and along comes this other unit and it was just a roar. I was amazed that something could sound so loud and so powerful at the same time. Cadence is sung to keep us in step, we have different types from marching to running. Some of the ones we use to sing were a little colorful. My wife hates when I still sometimes catch myself singing cadence. So I just want to share a few different ones with you. Hope you enjoy them. It is hard to get the full feeling of one unless you are there live to hear it. For those of you that have served, what were some of your favorite ones. I always liked the Airborne Ranger ones and yellowbird was one also. So we go.
My Armor
Rocky times I have seen in my life
Trials and tribulations I have faced
Times when I am about to fail
The enemy puts doubts into my mind
Pushing me deeper into despair
How do I fight such a force?
What do I use to defend myself
Grabbing my shield
Wearing my breastplate
Buckling up my belt
Putting on my boots
Placing on my helmet
Taking a hold of my sword
I am prepared for battle
These are my armaments given to me by God
Strong in the Lord and Mighty in his Power
Taking my stand against the Devil I will fight
I pray to my Lord and Savior
Give me strength and courage to wage this war
Victorious I will be in His Love.
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
23 Years
There was a day when I said no way
I would never be the one to take the plunge
Staying a single man was my plan
Hiding up in the mountains away from it all
It was what I wanted all along
Then one day a sight came to my eyes
A girl who I swore was out of my league
She had a smile and a twinkle in her eyes
That made you melt inside
I knew I was in trouble from the start
She was going to have my heart
The plunge I knew I was going to take
The day of our wedding I showed up late
23 years ago I said I do
Today I say I Love only you
Thank you for making me see the light
I thank God for taking the dark out of my night
The Lord blessed me on that day
23 years ago Today.
Reintroduction of A Soldier’s Walk
I just wanted to say thank you first to all of you out there that have taken the time to read my writings. When I first started this blog, I didn’t know what to expect or whether I would be able to even write anything. My experience with writing anything was an occasional letter to someone and writing Papers in High School and College (A long time ago for both). I am what you would have called at the time, a failed husband, a self-prescribed underwhelming father and just going through the motions of life. I was really dead inside and was lost at how to get out of it. My wonderful wife, who I almost lost due to this absence I had allowed into our marriage is the one who lead me into this world. She has been blogging for around 3 years and I must say is an amazing writer. See her blog here; https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/ . I won’t go into her journey with her blog, but let’s just say my absence in our marriage was behind some of her writings. I didn’t know a thing about poetry beyond maybe Dr. Seuss books. I just knew I had so much bottled up inside of me. I was never one who was good with emotions, I just bottled them up and stuffed them deep down inside. With writing this blog I have found a freedom to express a lot of these emotions not only through my writing, but in my life. Over these last few months I have been on a journey that was to win the heart of my wife back. I know this is not a journey with an end, but something I need to do every day.
A majority of my writing has been inspired on my feelings towards my lovely wife. I hope this journey may inspire others to know that it is never too late to fight for what is right, no matter what it may be. I know a lot of you were surprised to find out that ~ M and I were husband and wife. It was a decision made mutually between us to hide that fact until we knew was the right time. I have learned a lot about myself through this blogging adventure and reading and interacting with so many of you have really made a lasting imprint on my life. I am amazed by all the talent I see through so many of you and am inspired by it. Again I want to just reintroduce myself and say hello and thank you for coming along on this journey with me.
Yup that is a real picture of me.
A Soldier's Walk 