The Forgotten Brave Heroes

I passed by a man on the street today.

He was sitting down against a closed up store,

Others strolled by him with hated looks of disgust. 

This poor man looked like he had been to war with life.

I decided to stop for a while and ask him his name.

He was dishevelled and dirty with cracks on his face,

I found out he called himself John as he put out his hand, 

So I sat down beside him and both started to shake. 

I asked him if he had time for a chat,

He told me that time was all he had left.

I told him my name and handed him a smoke,

We both sat in silence and then John told me his truth.

He said that he once had a beautiful wife and two kids

And a reasonable job and a house where they all lived.

But then one day he got a call from his uncle Sam, 

Asking him if he would stand up and fight and be a man.

So John agreed and went off for his training the very next morn 

Saying a heartfelt goodbye to his young wife and Children

With sad tears in their eyes, he knew that he would miss them

But John was brave and a patriotic American who loved this land.

Who believed in freedom for his fellow Americans.

He pledged his life to this country for all it was worth.

And went off to war to defend the country and the people he loved,

But on the very first day, John arrived in that forsaken place.

He stepped on a landmine and lost both of his legs

He was brought to the military hospital for recuperation and rest.

But poor John was shellshocked and developed bad depression,

He was discharged with honours and given a silver starred meda.l 

Then when he got back home to his wife and kid,

Things were just different for everyone concerned.

His wife told John she had found another who was able and well 

To provide for her and the kids so John had to go.

Three months later he was a divorced legless veteran

Who struggled so much he just wanted to die.

But John carried on and fought through his plight

Until it got so bad he was without a place to call home.  

So poor John just like so many others was on the streets alone

He told me he sees his kids every now and again.

But they are all grown up now and his wife has moved on

This is John's story that he told me today as we sat there. 

With no hope for the future with no one who cares,

This is the life of so many brave soldiers who served this great land.

Homeless and rejected and battered and scared

I hope that it brought a tear to your eye and made you think hard.