This iReport is part of an assignment:
Salute to troops
About this iReport
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Posted November 22, 2009
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Location
Hillsboro, Illinois
Hillsboro, Illinois
Assignment
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Boots
This is a picture of my son Tyler and my daughter Mallory. He is a Sgt. at Ft. Bragg in NC with the 82nd Airborne and currently serving in Afghanistan. This is something I wrote for him after he came home on leave and had to return to Afghanistan. The pain of this war is so far reaching and the emotional toll it takes on us all is indescribable. We are so very proud of him and love and miss him more than words can say...May God Bless all of our troops and bring them home safe!! GO ARMY!!
Boots
It's late
or it's early..
I am not sure which
anymore.
We tried staying awake
all night
to make it last..
maybe stop time.
It didn't work.
No magic.
The dawn
it is not here yet..
but it is coming
and I am exhausted
emotionally
physically
weary.
I have always said...
I cannot do this...
I won't make it.
But here I am
living it..
doing it.
Feeling it.
His sister is still asleep
I doubt
if it is
restful.
Although we don't
speak
of it
I am sure her dreams
are as
haunted
as mine.
So as I
climb the stairs
to see if he
is ready
I push open
the door
slightly...
and I see them
I remember them...
as much as I try to
forget
they are there.
Boots...
the color of sand
through the crack
in the
door
My eyes
follow
them up..
to the uniform.
My heart skips
a beat.
He is
gone.
My
boy
is gone.
The
soldier is
back.
Stoic
and stern.
Strong and
proud.
His shoulders
are so broad now
I notice the seams
stretching
across them.
And it
terrifies me
the weight
they carry.
I close the
door
without him seeing.
Breathe
Breathe...
I watch his
back
as he walks away
I tried not to
cry...
but the tears
spilled out
anyway.
The last glimpse
around the
corner...
his boots...
my
heart...
my soldier
my son.
My
God
Bring him
back
to
me.
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