Pride Shines Through The Grime

                                                              By: A.X. Bueno 

There is a lot of baggage that comes with titles like veteran or soldier 

You’re balancing the reputation of both your country and yourself on your shoulders

And of course that’s technically nothing new but still there’s plenty that has changed 

As a lot of people’s feelings on this country have been rearranged, patriot and jingoism defanged

In a way that’s a bit different than times before 

As we’ve gained new sources of brutal history and information and longer, harsher ways of war  

So of course that affects the way we see the military too 

Though I think it’s important to consider what these changes also put those who serve through 

There’s a lot of complex stories and those who you’d find disagree with plenty of the terrible decisions and the wars if asked 

Many joined just to try to get by in this unfair and are typically stuck with what they are tasked 

Of course that doesn’t mean they don’t also  criticize the war machine they’re stuck in 

Or that we can’t as well 

It’s important to consider some soldiers might be dealing/dealt with several angles of hell 

From an uncaring government, their own communities and what service did to them too 

Though that isn’t the case for every person, depends on who they are and what they’ve been through

The military can provide for those who’ve been missing something or just never had a lot

Also consider that there’s more jobs than just the ones on the battlefield 

Not everyone in the military is directly involved in every one of  the powerful’s wars or plots 

Some work more behind the scenes and try to live life off base before their eventual deployment

There can be plenty of difficult or grimy parts to a veteran’s life for sure 

But if they can overcome those parts a certain level of pride and enjoyment that can be found 

It’s definitely not an easy life though the difficulties again can depend on what you experience and who you are 

So I think we can appreciate those who managed to stand above and still criticize the troubling machinations of the military’s dirtier workings and war

I’d say it’s important to recognize the veteran’s who struggled and acknowledge what’s deserved

Plenty deserve better, for all they’ve been put through and what some have been denied they deserve more

And there are also plenty of soldiers right now you could argue deserve that too 

But let the veteran’s have their day which is the least they are due