Today is Veteran’s Day, and a day all Veterans can be proud of their service. Every Veteran spent part of his life in unselfish service to our great country, and we sometimes lose sight of the gift that freedom gives us in this country. Don’t let the political arguments drown out the good in America. Don’t let an increasingly angry and violent political climate blur the true basic goodness of all of us. Next week, I will turn 75, and age has become more than a number for this aging body. But, I am most proud of the Veteran label on my Driver’s License, and am proud of the young men and women who, with me, spent part of their lives in the service. Just to be alive feels like victory. And, today’s poem tries to capture that feeling.
I am 75 today.
It feels like victory.
I have taken my medication.
I walked downstairs.
I made it to my chair.
It feels like victory.
I am joined in life
by my friends
and those who love me.
I have cast aside
the ones who don’t,
and they aren’t in the room.
It feels like victory.
I remember a young soldier,
full of himself,
and a young student,
preparing for a life lived in service.
I remember wars and death and lost lovers,
and tragedy.
I remember triumph and joy.
It feels like victory.
Every joint and muscle
in my body
aches;
but, I can still feel the breeze,
and breathe the air.
It feels like victory.
My clothes don’t fit anymore.
The trim young soldier
can no longer wear the uniform.
My ears can’t hear anything
in the upper registers,
and hair grows in places
it never did before.
But, it feels like victory.
Don’t cry for me
if I die today.
I had many days
in which I didn’t.
I lived many days
beyond my expiration date.
It is a victory.