Battered, broken
Scarred and scattered
You aren’t who you are anymore
And you did it for me.
Pain, rage, violence
A life destroyed at twenty-three
How can it be
That this is our price?
You are a hero uncontested
I hear the stories
And think of the man I knew
Suffering behind smiles
A mind, mangled
A body, bled
A spirit, broken
And hope fled
So many died in that war
So long ago
The jungles laid claim
To so many young souls
But was there blessing in survival?
Should you still suffer so that we may live?
You’re gone now, but even so
You’re a medal of honor
On my heart.
