I Am A Veteran

All I want is to hold my family,

All I want is my hometown,

All I want are my friends around me,

Why can’t I just be homeward bound?

I’ve exhausted my affirmations,

I can’t escape what I’ve done,

It’s time that I met my son.

On the plane, soon I’ll kiss my daughter,

Watch my son heading off to school,

I am married to a total stranger,

Will she love me when I lose my cool?

I’m afraid to be frightened here,

When my boots hit the ground,

and there’s no one around...

I am a veteran, what does that mean?

I am a veteran, seen, but unseen.

And if you wanna talk about it, take my hand,

I am a veteran, come stand where I stand.

All I want is to lose my memories,

All I want is to clear my mind,

I don’t want this conversation,

Why can’t I just be undefined?

I don’t feel like my brothers do,

when they wake up at dawn,

I just wanna move on…

All I want is to serve my country,

All I want is to do my part,

All I want is my unit by me,

Side by side, fighting heart by heart.

I belong in this uniform, 

I’ll wear it long as I can,

That’s when I know who I am.

I am a veteran, what does that mean?

I am a veteran, seen, but unseen.

And if you wanna talk about it, take my hand,

I am a veteran, come stand where I stand.

I am a veteran…………………….

All I want is to make it better,

Your transition needn’t be so hard,

I can always ‘Thank you for your service,’

But gratitude only goes so far,

I am just a civilian here,

But I know there’s more I can do,

I can start by listening to you…

You are a veteran, what does that mean?

You are a veteran, seen, but unseen.

And I am here to talk about it, so take my hand.

You are a veteran, I’ll stand where you stand.