C O M B A T
	the Literary Expression of Battlefield Touchstones ™
	ISSN 1542-1546 Volume 02 Number 01 Winter ©Jan 2004

---

Coming Home

---

They've mocked me.
And they've called me names.
Don't they understand?
This isn't a game.

I've done things they couldn't understand.
Seen things that would make them quake.
This I have to live with,
Damn I'm starting to shake.

They shouldn't do this.
Can't they understand?
It's like the first kiss.
When you're forced to make a stand.

I look down at my hands,
Callused and worn.
They've been covered in blood,
My mind's been torn.

My enemy had courage.
At least they made a stand.
Right or wrong I stood and fought
My survival wasn't planned.

Peace is never given,
Sometimes the price is high.
Freedom is more than a frame of mind.
It's a struggle to reach the sky.

I look around and ask myself,
Was it worth the price we paid?
I look around and see these folks,
With their futures ready made.

Politicians, take away what's already been won.
While the blood of our soldiers is wet,
The lives of fathers and sons,
The collateral they've spent

Politicians start the wars,
They send us to fight and die.
So you better wake up to what's going on,
Make sure you're not living a lie.

---

by Rick Heuer/Knapp
... who is a veteran and freelance writer.

---