The Forgotten Soldier

A young boy stood, heart proud and true,

Beneath the flag of red, white, and blue.

With solemn oath, he raised his hand,

To serve and defend his beloved land.

He marched through fire, he bled in sand,

A rifle firm in his steady hand.

The echoes of war carved deep in his soul,

A price he paid to keep his country whole.

But when the battle was over and done,

And the soldier returned, a war unwon,

The cheers faded, the parades went dry,

He looked for aid beneath the sky.

The promises made, so bold, so grand,

Turned to dust in a weary hand.

A shattered heart, a fractured mind,

Left to fend in a world unkind.

He cried for help, but no one came,

His country whispered a hollow name.

The boy who swore, the man who bled,

Was left alone with the ghosts in his head.

Oh, land of the free, home of the brave,

Why do you forsake those you must save?

The cost of freedom they bore for you,

Yet you turn away when their skies aren’t blue.

A plea to remember, a call to care,

For those who’ve borne the weight of despair.

Lift them up, don’t let them fall,

For they gave their youth, their life, their all.