As the holiday season is upon us and the weather turns cold,

I thought I’d share these thoughts with you as something to remember:

The Lost Soldier

In the cold a former soldier sits
trying to stay warm.
His clothes are ragged, his stocking hat frayed
his gloves are tattered and torn.

The doorway that he calls his home
is only his at night.
The storekeeper who owns that door
shoos him away at morning light.

His hair once cut short and neat
is now an unwashed heap.
Once piercing eyes are clouded now,
with age and lack of sleep

He fought for freedom and righteousness
Now he fights away his fears
As battles haunt his dreams at night
And he awakes to sobbing tears.

He wonders if anyone remembers cheering him
when he returned from over sea
From that far away war that took his soul
and the man he used to be.

So when you see him lying there
Show him the respect that he is due
For there’s no way that you can pay him back
For everything he’s given to you.

– Terry L. Fossum, former Captain, USAF