Theme for January 15 to February 14, 2016

In conjunction with the Library’s Veteran’s History Project, I want to focus on thanking our veterans. A poem is a way to speak person-to-person, and say so much in a few words. Write to a friend or loved one, or to one of the veterans in our project, and tell them why their service is so important to you. Give them something specific—an image, a metaphor, a phrase that says it all—so they can see that thanks, and join the chorus of our La Familia contributors honoring our servicemen and women.

I don’t know your names—not one name. I’ve never touched you—not one touch. We never had a conversation—not one word. Without name or intimacy or conversation, I honor you and feel ashamed that my comfort and safety is offered by a stranger.

What we share in this country
Is a gift beyond measure,
With those who protect it,
Our truest treasure.
Thank you.

VETERANS
You serve
care
bleed
for freedom’s need
“Kids thank a Veteran”
make butterfly cut-outs
to hang on the tree
with names
of fallen soldiers
whose ultimate sacrifice
fully faces the faraway sun

May I never forget the men and women
who gallantly defend our freedom and our way of life.
Their valiant service and sacrifice
shines with unmatched brilliance.
I pray for their safe return,
that they may enjoy the life for which they fight.

Thank you Vets; even though we have not met.
You give the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
You leave your families behind and you protect everyone.
May your families be shielded in you absence.
May you also be shielded; thank you Vets.

Having no family, no home
adopted by those who share no blood, no cause.
I walk the streets where no connection exists,
but familiarity ensures comfort to lay my head.

Let us fight
to keep the book of peace
open
and the book of war
closed

I am a military brat turned pacifist,
Born into a family dedicated to service,
But prayers of peace are my dear wish.
My cousin Jeff gave the ultimate sacrifice.
In Arlington his heroic soul now lies.
The words “thank you” just don’t suffice.

He was 17 when he went to Afghanistan. Now he is 19 and too wise for his age. He has seen the world and the worst of it. He has an expensive pick-up truck that he calls “Infidel.” He said because he hates “those people.” These are the wages of war.

‘Twas not a gun, nor a cannon, nor a nuclear bomb that saved us
‘Twas not a whisper, nor a murmur, nor a roar that we heard
‘Twas heroes like you, with hearts like you, with bravery that mends

“America the Beautiful”

You can share a soda abroad in service
You can listen to Rap/Hip-Hop during the night in cots
You can write to our mothers and fathers
You can write to our children and spouses
So the toil is safe for all

“My Home Sweet Home”

You found that of God in every person,
my dear dead comrade.
Thank you for finding him in us.
for your love,
for your humanity,
your protection,
and always your example.
Dulce et decorum est pro humanitate vivere.
You loved us all too much.

A student, a man, a history. Stories of prejudice, pain and insult. Still finding his way. Laughs, strong, principled, respectful. Lessons learned through his Vietnam War stories. Makes no excuses.

black history month
when all concerned are interested in contributing their own individual quarters to make this month free to remembered for the free ones the in united states, with love, with compassions, with cool heads, with PASSIONS

Veterans we thank you
For all that you did
Thank you for making sure we do not lose our freedom
Thanks for making sure they do not forbid our rights
Thank you for making sure that in our lives we can all pursue multiple avenues
Thank you!

I don’t know war
Or the pain of it.
All you’ve endured
My gratitude feels insufficient
So I weave it in words
And pray they are
A gift fit for a soldier.
Thank you.

I cannot see past him
By him I am sheltered from spastic shots
While
The blasts beseech me,
“leave.”
But my visceral zen is let alone
By the livid ripping bullets
The smoke is my friend
And I cannot see past him

Message for the Veterans

I just want to say thank you, veterans.
Thank for fighting dreadful wars to save our beautiful and magnificent country.
No words can explain how warmhearted and courageous you are.
Again, thank you.

Not all heroes wear capes.
Some wear boots, fly planes, drive a boat
But they all mean the same.
They are old and young.
Present and past
fight for freedom
often taken for granted.

Not all heroes wear capes
but the uniform of the U.S. Military.

Without you
The world would be different
People’s freedom would be at risk,
So thank you
For protecting our country
For risking your life for others
For making the world a better place.

Thank you, Veteran
Your service is appreciated in Iran,
Or wherever you have served.
Your efforts reserved,
Protection to ones you love and care.
Throughout your life no matter how you fare,
Remember the Country you once fought to protect.

Our equality etched
In black granite
23W Line 112
We grappled for civil rights
With gut wrenching civil disobedience.
You, Sharon Ann, only woman felled
By enemy fire, donned equality.
Remind us again of the
Savor of victory in that mantle.

And there was this Colonel
I worked with at my last job
he surfs the Oceanside break
and his best memory of Vietnam
was flying his chopper
over a massive dolphin pod
churning through the sea.

As he leaves the bay, into the German barrage, hoping to make pay
As each blast shows him a silence of death, a blast of life
As each blast comes he hears a whirl of death from his allies
As he hunkers down and cries, it’s clear money is not the prize

Out at sea
Happy as can be
My base is on a little enclave
Attu is its name
My job is small
But also very vital
I pack parachutes
So pilots may safely land
Out in the open sea
They will thank me
For keeping their life
Away from the devil’s strife

Flying bullets, falling friends
Reddened ground, and the piled dead,
In damaged towns with booming voices
Are what you have to see.
I have my warm snug places
Good friends, and happy times.
No fear for me to have
For this gift, I thank thee.

Bravery is a word
No one can say
Unless they know what it feels
To be away.
Away from family
Daughters and sons
Wives and husbands
Where bravery is needed most
Thank you

From the fields of green, that never last.
To the great deserts, long and vast.
There were those who heard aright.
And those who shy away from a fight.
Where there are dire straits, you respond.
When solving adversity, you go above and beyond

Men, Women, Brothers, Sisters, Mothers, Fathers, Sons, Daughters,
We still live today because of your service,
We will support you when you are helpless,
For all you’ve done we will see the sun rise,
We support each other so we will survive.

Oh say do you see
How we hail gallantly waving stars & stripes
Where is the hail for women & men who vauntingly march under bursting bombs
Can we release the clench of
Silver & gold
& raise our arms like eagle wings
Oh,
a song of thanks can we sing?

My snowy fields and dark trees,
My quiet campus and piled books,
My laughing students and close family
Are secured by
Your scorching sky and bright desert
Your dusty tent and polished rifles
Your lost friends and distant parents
Thank you.

Scars on his face were from acne,
the missing teeth—an old basketball injury.
A Pearl Harbor survivor we knew about.
That’s what we all knew—not the smell of diesel fuel
and burning flesh on a calm Sunday morning-
somewhere in paradise.

Scars of a Healed Heart
To my fellow Veterans
What must we do in order to never forget tears shed?
Some of us paid the ultimate price and all we could do is say farewell
21 guns salute our hearts are not well
Infinity loves us brothers

You have bombs bursting around
But I’m safe and sound
You have MRE’s
But I’m sipping coffee
when hear of soldiers
i want to join the military

Thanks military!!

You are like a tree
Now you are free
The people still need to remember
The warm rabbit hole you provided in cold December
In all of winter
Even if there’s a splinter
All that you helped grew
Was all from you

They stood strong through battles and fought for the worthy cause.
They risk their lives to preserve the safety and welfare of our country.
They inspire all who wish to join in keeping peace.

The beige brotherhood of camo-clad men
and women
fight terror.
and?
longing?
loneliness?
hunger for a meal NOT ready to eat?
hunger for a touch of home?
Wonder…
when the battles abroad are done
what fight awaits at home.

Me—Snuggling with my dog
You—Snuggling with explosives and guns
Me—Warm and cozy
You—Cold and stressed
Me—Living my life
You—Hoping you don’t die today
Me—Sleeping soundly
You—On watch every night risking your lives.
Thank you

Brother,
You’re in the Navy now,
an academy cadet.
Even though we fight, you miss me too I bet
It is impossible to describe how proud I am
To see how much you’ve grown.
You are my best friend of all time,
and I love you more than you have ever known

They come from all walks-
giving mind, spirit, hands.
We salute the brave souls-
some sacrifice all for our land.

Thank You
THANK YOU: FOR SERVING AMERICA
THANK YOU: FOR KEEPING US SAFE
THANK YOU: FOR SAVING LIVES
THANK YOU: FOR STEPPING UP WHEN OTHERS CAN’T
THANK YOU: FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO

You-rations, a canteen
Me—croissant, hot tea
You—exposure to the elements
Me— snug in bed
You—no access to plumbing
Me—hot shower
You—bullets, bombs
Me—safe from harm
You—self-sacrifice
Me—a debt I cannot pay
Thank you, US Military!

Peace comes when my mind quiets and I fall asleep, warm and safe. Peace comes when I am at land’s end in the presence of the ocean, rushing, pouring, pounding. Peace comes when we hold one another in an enormous bear hug and rock slowly, deeply.

Por mi Patria

Atrás quedó la casa
donde cada día amanece
figurando sombras
que la luz desvanece.
Sombras largas y apagadas
por el rumor de la mañana:
gestos, risas
llantos, prisas,
bruma: vida cotidiana.

Mientras lucho por mi Patria.

Connection

This 73-year-old grandmother
Salutes your choice
Remembers a photo of her father
In the Philippines with a monkey
On his shoulder
In “the good war”

I imagine you in snapshots
That your children, parents, girlfriends,
Kiss at night

Dear Woodie,
You may never understand
Who you are to me,
To your country,
To your family and friends,
But I know you gave it all to the war
You may have never been the same,
But I know your heart
Even with the half-dazed mind
And crooked smile
I love

My father
left our familia
the year I was born
yet years before
he made that choice
he volunteered
to defend our country
in a time of war
I don’t know
if one choice led to the other
but I am grateful
for the lives he saved
including mine

Many have been scarred
But they must try hard
To move on and disregard
The terrible times that marred
Their feelings so they can depart
So they can see the start
Of a new exciting part
Of their lives and leave the bad times free from their heart

Dear Soldiers Past and Present, Alive and Lost,

I’m sorry for any harm you faced because of my tax dollars.

Sincerely,
Daniel C. Stein

Christmases and birthdays,
First days of school and summer fun,
Vacations, Sports, and reunions
All without a loved one.

Thank you to our veterans,
for picking up the gun,
defending this great country,
our daughters and our sons.

Holding the trigger
Aiming by the corners
Hiding in the darkness
Lives might be taken in any moment
Bullets Fired
Bombs exploded
But who are they risking their lives for?
For us
For freedom
For honoring United States.
Thank you Veterans

When you grew to manhood
a world war demanded
all men go to join a fight
for right.

You faced fears of flying,
trying then dying.
Many dangers challenged all
that might.

Thanks to your story,
shame and glory.
Peace was won. Hope was now
in sight.

Thank you Baba Justin
the camouflage uniform hanging in your closet
sending you food in the mail
we know you like the peppered beef jerky that we buy in Zuni

Sergeant Betoney
right now half way around the world in South Korea
i miss you

Thank You to my great Uncle Kevin
for being my veteran
for being my hero like Batman
as he fought his life
and for being my Uncle as he was
alive and for seeing him on weekends
with candy as he throws them
around to the children and bring happiness

The light of love burns for me
in a darkened window.
Inside, Mother sits sewing.
Outside, Father shovels.
Though I have been gone two years
they wish the trail
leads back to barn and meadow.

I haul the bloody sacrifice everywhere.

When the call went out
heard through time and time again, again
This we’ll defend.

Taking your place
along the line, not to demand
but to give, again
and again.

Just long ago to us, your ArmyBuddy stories, sneaking the dog on the plane, handkerchiefs in Italy, that California fella, Mitzi

Your Big Adventure

before you invited us in

to our HowdyDoody barbecue WonderBread Hitlerless world

You fought for me
You bled, you died
You gave me freedom
You gave me pride

It’s not just your service that I’m grateful for.
It’s also your courage to do what needs to be done.
It’s your sacrifice that humbles me most
and the sacrifice your familia had to make too.
My children also served,
so I prayed for all of us.

your life led for me
a stranger
it will not be in vain
my life’s work
destined to be
a testament
to your bravery
someday
I will repay you

My father talks
about artillery walking:
how the shells soared
over their heads
and burst on the enemy,

the men laboring over
newly shattered ground, trusting
the skill of their artillerymen,
that a shell
would not drop
short.

Courage

a shiny beast drops you in the jungle
fend for yourself

you become
heat, courage, humidity, fear

a gun clicks
a life is lost

you never speak of it
after you return

your mother’s kitchen
chocolates on the counter

a blessing, thank you

were i to thank you dear vet
i’d have to do so sincerely
no solo con sentimiento
te daría las gracias
i’d have to sacrifice
a son a daughter
las gracias no son falsas
sin sacrificio de hija de hijo
so easy to beat the chest
flower empty words

kicks of dust
tornado your
sacrificial intentions.

what you do
you do
for us,

almost like mother
who kicks back
every acknowledgement

sent from her children.
she doesn’t want recognition
just to be loved.

can the same be said of you?

Heroes are angels on earth
bringing our flag in the gold wind
carrying stars as high as heaven’s breath
candles in time
never to burn down
blue sky is in our heroes’ American flag
bringing rainbows to our soldiers.

It’s more than just “thanks” that are due to our vets,
More than a now-and-then thought.
We constantly live a fuller life
Because of each battle they’ve fought.

Fraying wings in my mother’s dresser drawer. He killed his own as he went down. Down. Who to thank?

The blood you have spilled has been wiped with the honor you have earned.

Returning home, how long it has been.
The things that have been experienced, no longer matter.
I see my wife and son, in the distance.
They’re smiling.
Stamps of pain in my heart melt away, and in its place, is a warm heart, with a smile.

They contribute to our country as they fight for our well-being,
risking their lives so we don’t have to risk ours.

They need to know we are there for them,
through the good and the bad,
through the PTSD and everything else.

going to war
risking their lives so we don’t have to go
through all the pain and stress to make our country free

Veterans you have put up with so much
but
don’t give up because so many people
want the good rather than the bad.

We are broken.
We have done our part.
We have protected you.
We have come home from the hatred of war.
We are scared.
We are told to just “get over it.”
We have but only one question for you.
What have you done to help fix us?
For we are broken.

Talons may be lost but your wings are still intact
They need a push just to get them
Flying
Gliding
Soaring
to the tomorrow that was fought for
Still being fought for
Will be fought for
Just keep trying
You will be flying to that tomorrow

they leave for war
go and fight for our freedom
risking their lives for
our country
saving our souls
thinking of us
before their own

We show them love for all they have done
no one would be here, not even one
if it wasn’t for them we’d all be gone
Love and support is what we give
We thank them all for letting us live

Not worried, not angry, not frightened because of all the work you do.
Despite the wretched days you don’t expect anything in return.
Despite the revolting images you stay strong.
Despite the odds you persevere.

I am a bald eagle in the sky,
Searching for my place in this new world that has been created
This new world that gives me so much fright and pain
My home has changed for better or for worse
But I do not know which
I am an eagle, and I am afraid

The call to fight is always clear, but it seems the call back home becomes hard to hear.

Dear Veterans,
Thank you,
Thank you for your service and sacrifices,
Without you,
Our country would be broken,
Without you,
Our country would not be free,
Dear Veterans,
Thank you.

You protect me,
enable me to have freedom.
You risk yourself
so that I can be safe.
You persevere for those you love and cherish,
and those you don’t know.
You fight for everything
thank you.

My granddad
I thank you
for all you have done
in a short amount of time
all those many years ago
Even though you’re haunted
by what you have done
I still want to thank you
for all you have done

My dearest,
the light in this dark world;
the sun to the moon.
My dearest,
I wanted you to stay,
to breath once more.
My dearest,
I’m sorry
we had to say goodbye.

Red scars,
blue stripes,
white stars.
Protectors of the thing
that is wasted away by
those who don’t understand
it. Taken time away from
their own to do what
others will not.
These are the true heroes
of today.

America owes it all to you.
Selfless and strong we thank you for answering the call.
We salute you for our freedom.
No thank you can compare, there is no doubt we need you here.
To all you veterans we appreciate you and salute you for all you do.

Vets are the reason for today,
Once a day I pray,
To be like them one day,
If there is a will there is a way,
Maybe we will have another day.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears.
All for one nation.
What more can we ask of them.
Putting their lives on the line for ours.
The least we can do is say thank you.
Days filled with agony and pain.
Hoping to soon be with friends and family.
Thank you

Strong soldiers in blasting winds,
thinking, dreaming of what they love.
Hard scenes of the war they are in,
thank you for all you have done.

Love with Heart is expensive to give,
so take care of the people who love you the most
give love to those who give the love of the heart.

Words are cold
just like ice
but a freedom within
is a bird above ice
flying freely.

We are at home
free from harm, worry and fear,
as if we are a box buried deep in a vacant attic.
They are in constant apprehension, stress and panic
like a lone wolf away from its pack

Thank you
to those who
fought for,
defended,
and protected our country.
Thank you
for risking your life
to keep us safe.

Biting the bullets,
Clenching the fists.
A crimson champion
But who has won?

They may not mean a lot to you,
Yet they love you and support you.
They give up many things for us,
They are someone you can trust.
For us, they get shot and die,
Despite the fact that we never cry.
A veteran’s bravery stands above all
fighting for freedom, their beliefs, their country
protecting innocent citizens in their land and far beyond
with eyes sparkling full of words and happiness seeing their loved ones say “welcome home”

faced in the name of peace and justice for all.
In loving embrace, your bravery is kindness
Let the days of peace begin, let the days of healing
hold you up, like badges of valor, for all your days.

Butterfly Freedom

Veterans
You care
You serve
You bleed
for freedom’s need
the group
“Kids thank a Veteran”
make butterfly cut-outs
to hang on a tree
with names
of fallen soldiers
whose ultimate sacrifice
fully faces the faraway sun.

I know what Semper Fidelis means
It has become something that I breathe in every single day
And with it I breathe you…in
Forever
A piece of every one of you
Was sewn into every fiber of my being in 1999
And I will always remain faithful…to you

Brave and fearless soldiers
You have held us together
Even when times get rough
Keeping a nation strong
Takes a lot of courage;
A powerful weapon
That has protected our home

Those lost and those saved
Both grateful for different reasons
Happy to have helped
Happy to have been helped
Fireworks light the way home
Into open, welcoming arms
They will be missed
They live on
Within you
In spirit

Arigato for the selfless aid
Gracias for your standing tall
Merci for the change you’ve made
Danke from us, one and all
Thank you, THANK YOU, with all my heart
Thank you, THANK YOU, you’ve done your part

How it had happened?
I’m not sure
Whether it was willingly
Or pulled into war

Every second
of every day
a shower of bullets
heading your way

What is terror
What is hell?
Only our soldiers
are the ones who can tell

Blood tear
Sweet and shine
Shore to surf
Land to isle
Freedom here,
Bring it there
Valorous
And unshaken to our nation’s call
A call to arms
A call of duty
For this, we thank you
For you truly are the lion
The lion that truly is bravery
Thank you

Sky darkens
Cold dark clouds
People armed
Land overcrowds
Veterans wore bravery
Bullets boom and shower
Risking their lives for the worthy
Hearts tear
Fixing lives
Not giving up your gift
Entering dark wars
Chills down spines with fear

A child carries a red-ribboned teddy bear which knows
The direction the same love that gives it life
One that warms its heart
Grants it the will to fight
Is taking towards
Aching for
Our brothers in arms tonight

Thank you, to the vets that help us stay free
The ones who come home to nothing
The ones who have a family to take care of
The ones who would rather hold his girl than a gun
Thank you

You signed up to keep this country safe
I can tell that you are most unsafe
We know what you’re doing is good

You may be all worn out
but people want to hear you scream and shout
You guys are heroes
The bravest guys i know
You guys have a heart of fire

Determination
Use to overcome difficult challenges
Shown in many ways
Comes when we least expect it
A symbol of hope
Like the star spangled flag
And inspiration to the hopeless

Bravery, courage, and Selflessness
Are what you use to keep us all safe
When you fight for us and put your own life on the line
To ensure our safety in the United States of America
Thank You

Whether on the field of battle or at home you do good for our country.

Since America was born, you protected the innocent as best you can

And you serve as an example for those who wonder about your lives.

God bless you and God save you.

Veterans Day, Oh what a day
They march through the streets, with everyone cheering at them
They way the soldiers charge into battle, is like how a lawyer enters a courtroom
We love and thank these men, who risk their lives keep ours from ending

Veterans

The country’s heroes,

They fight, kill, and die for us.

Never Forgotten

Veteran’s Poem

Thank you for your service to our country.

You fought and died for us,

And now we honor you in our memories.

Proudly protecting us,

From air, land and sea.

To watch over freedom,

Like a parent over their children

Veterans have done so much
Protecting us from enemies coming onto our land
Severing our land and going on foreign
Veterans are protecting us from danger
Solders are like a barrier protecting us from danger
We are thankful for them

Flowers bloom like you do,
Branching out like a tree too.
We remember you as a lion symbolizing our country’s bravery.
Bring love, joy, happiness to our world,
when you came back from serving us.
Serve us, we love you, for our world.

bravery fighting windy

bullets
loud
scary
sad

thankful
Brave like a GUN

Men & women,

around the world,

protect our freedom, to keep us all safe,

as would a herd of elephants to their calves

They are bees that defend their hive and its resources.

Keeping us safe from the wasps of the tyranny

I give my greatest thanks

Thank you for your service in the sky
Above us you served
Never being shy
Turned out it was well deserved
Throughout tough times it was hard
But still defeating the enemy lines
However teamwork was a success
Like our bodyguards

when we weren’t ready to when we weren’t able
you did it because you felt it was right
you felt like you had to
you had to serve and protect
like a father and child
you felt the need to protect
you answered the call

Veterans, protecting us from enemies at sea
Remembrance, you will receive
From all of us in the United States
Bang! We salute you!
On a day in May called Memorial Day
Honor, medals, and our thanks are sent.

A WWII vet, my father taught
Senegalese, Algerians.
Tutored me in an ethical
landscape of honor, loyalty.
He and his friends Yves, Viggo, Rolanda
never belied their resistance days
ordinary heroics in a living room in Queens.

but tears would never help
for I know the things they were doing
were much bigger than myself

I wish to tell them something
because it’s long overdue
for commitment and courage
accept my sincere thank you.

November 11
A day to reminisce
War is never over
But for now we stand still
many lost many gone
We stand united
Yesterday
so many lost, so many gone
Fights for religion
Fights for rights
Fights for tonight
We the people are forever grateful

Infiltrating the infantry
—shock-waves—silence
Sing for Soul and Body
Sing for Certainty
Sing as the splotches of paint seep
Into the soil

The soldier’s boots hold permanent memories.
Those boots hold memories that will never be forgotten.

From babies they form units and commands of all sorts,

To protect our land and our borders, our docks and our ports,

Thank you from our big American hearts,

To my Son and my Soldier, DJ, thanks for doing your part!

Thank you to the vets
For your struggles
For your successes
For your failures
For your strengths
For everything

Weekend trips to the PX to shop, not the mall. The Sunday night ritual of sitting around polishing shoes, Monday morning pairs lined up on the newspaper ready for the week. Lessons about how to be a good neighbor and lending a hand. Semper Fi

I was in school and pasted curling snapshots of my father
in khaki standing in front of spanish ruins.
Tagalog saved him. In old age the nurses smiled.
He did his bit and there was my childhood snug and safe.

Since that fateful day three percent have served. Will you join me today? Thank you to all those who have taken up the call to arms to defend our great nation. Semper Fidelis I have the watch.
The great General Patton comes by: thank you, soldier, for your bravery; don’t drink from your helmet.
Thanks to those who lived into the middle of the 21st century, combat-cancers, other calamities sneaking up like a ghost battalion.

Soldier, you go out in the morning.
By nightfall your world
has torn apart from ours. Teach us
how you are swollen with war
and cannot fit through the usual doorway,
so we may welcome you safely home.

I listened to veterans read stories
they wrote of their experiences:
Crossing the line
Gunner on a humvee
Tangles Logistics
A brawl in the airport
Grenade at a barn
Not knowing Not knowing Not knowing

I speak.
But no one hears me.
I don’t have a person.
I used to have multiple persons.
They all fell into that 6 foot hole. No struggle. No fighting to get out. They let it be.
I thank them every day for helping people.
But now I’m without a person.

You were so young when you went to war,
did what you thought you had to do,
came home a hero in all eyes
but your own. With the rest of your life you
showed us what a hero does. You taught us, your family,
and everyone who knew you, the bravery of love.

What Makes You a Hero
You’ve risked your life,
You don’t even know me.
You’ve protected your family,
They must be worried.
They pray for you.
To keep you safe.
You protect strangers.
That makes you a Hero.
For that we thank you.
You are a hero.

SERVICE
OFFERING FREEDOM
LOVING PEOPLE YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW
DARING TO DO DANGEROUS WORK
INDEPENDENT
EXPERIENCED
REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I don’t realize how important our veterans are.
Everyone who has helped our country should be given a thank you.
Vets, vets, you’re the best. That’s why you are our guests.
Thanks, thanks is all I say.
That’s why you all should pray.

Thank you,
For existing.
For deciding to fight for us.
And those to come, the people of the future.
Uncertain whether today or tomorrow is your last.
Thinking of us.
And fighting to honor the people of the past.

Veterans, Veterans
who marched into battle
who bravely stared at death
from the tops of their saddles

Veterans, Veterans
who fought for a cause
fought for their country
to the enemies jaws.

You fight for America.
You shine like the sun.

ASTOUNDING
MARVELING
EVERLASTING BRAVERY
RICHEST
INTELLIGENT
COURAGEOUS
AVENGING

How oh how do I sleep at night.
When I know the soldiers bleed and fight.
How oh how do they do it all?

Your legacy will never be gone.

Now that I finally understand their sacrifice.
It’s our turn to pay the price.
Now I know how they do it all.

VALOR
EXCELLENCE
TEAMWORK
ENERGETIC
RESPECTFUL
ADMIRABLE
NEVER GIVE UP
SACRIFICE

We celebrate this day,
For the courage you display.
For patriotic deals you manifest,
We are truly blessed.
For you to have served our nation,
We have strong appreciation.
Red White and Blue,
You stood true.
Thank you, Vets, for all you do

Thank you, Veterans, for risking your lives to protect us.
You keep us safe so we don’t have to be worried if something or someone will attack us.
There is really no way to thank you. Except to say THANK YOU!

Dear Veterans and soldiers around the world,
Thank you for your service.
Many people take for granted the army.
But I understand what you do is a sacrifice.
I have never been through what you have, but I can imagine.
You make a difference.

While we are in the comfort of our family,
A soldier is far away.
They never know when they will be called, nor where they will go.
It is because of them that I can sleep at night, for they risk their lives for the safety of mine.
Thank you!

Thank you, Soldiers, for all that you’ve done,
Because of you, we are united as one.

Your love brings forth hard work and sacrifice.

Throughout all of the pain, and all of the rough,
Everything you do is more than enough.

Thank you for risking your lives,
for us.
Thank you for giving up so many everyday things,
for us.
Thank you for going through unforgettable things,
for us.
Thank you for everything.
We mean it.

To all the Soldiers, Veterans, and all those who serve our country: THANK YOU!
For everything you do for us. For keeping us safe.
All of your efforts have made this country what it is today.
We as a nation thank you.
We all come together.

Five times a day, I knelt
and held you in my arms,
my soldier child
across the miles,
an intersession, a mediation,
a mantra of the mind,
prayers whispered in the wind
to bring you home again

That fleeting flashback…
That piercing whisper: “Ay! They’re back…”
Struck with joy…with pain…
Prostrate with hope that did not wane
With good news: “We withstood the attack!”
Thanks for being part of that pack!

“It took several tries to retrieve the bodies,”
you wrote.
Thank you for being the one
to bring him back,
for not telling how he was torn.
One day we’ll meet.
We’ll touch the names on W17
in the valley of the Wall,
embraced by its long granite arm.

Thanksgiving table bursts—steaming meats, clattering platters.
Family, friends, chattering, chittering, lively, but you.
You hum in mid-distance, where you lease comfort.
Always the question: So, what was it like?
Unanswerable.

We sent you there to secure us here
Now you know
As none here can
It’s not here

Not among our pols profs
Parsons pundits or pros

No answers for our
Woeful weary wasting

So go for yourselves
Together

Thank you for your continuing service
Here

Children laughing and smiling,
Families gathering for dinner,
Walks through a park without worry,
Skies clear of ash and smoke.

Hearts filled with hope and spirit,
Minds void of fear and panic,
This is what you’ve protected.
Thank you.

The rat-a-tat of gunfire
the yelling of commanders
the loss of friends and possibly family
All of this you have endured

To protect the people
Who forget to thank you
And for that as cheap as it may be
I give you all a great big thank you

Our fearless protectors
The selfless men & women
Who care too much to leave it alone

We thank you for your blood
Your sweat and your tears
We are sorry for your night fears
For when you come home the wounds do not always heal

Uncle Reno would laugh, bare his back,
show his tatts and scars of the War.
His grandchild Brooke, 4 tours in the ME,
hid her unbearable scars
until that blue exhaust bared them.
No more strong silence
laugh, bare, bear
1-800-273-8255
thanks