# Pride Shines Through The Grime

Author: Apolarbear17
Tags: Appreciation, Baggage, Life Stories, Military, Poetry, Shifting Views, Soldiers, Veterans, War machine, Was for Veterans Day, country, critique

Wrote this for Veterans Day a few years ago. Back then it was kind of late but I didn’t want to waste the poem or sentiment so I posted it anyway. Now I’m posting it again here. Thanks for reading. Originally posted this in November 2022.

Pride Shines Through The Grime

 

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By: A.X. Bueno&nbsp;

 

 

There is a lot of baggage that comes with titles like veteran or soldier&nbsp;

 

You’re balancing the reputation of both your country and yourself on your shoulders

 

And of course that’s technically nothing new but still there’s plenty that has changed&nbsp;

 

As a lot of people’s feelings on this country have been rearranged, patriot and jingoism defanged

 

In a way that’s a bit different than times before&nbsp;

 

As we’ve gained new sources of brutal history and information and longer, harsher ways of war&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

So of course that affects the way we see the military too&nbsp;

 

Though I think it’s important to consider what these changes also put those who serve through&nbsp;

 

There’s a lot of complex stories and those who you’d find disagree with plenty of the terrible decisions and the wars if asked&nbsp;

 

Many joined just to try to get by in this unfair and are typically stuck with what they are tasked&nbsp;

 

Of course that doesn’t mean they don’t also&nbsp; criticize the war machine they’re stuck in&nbsp;

 

Or that we can’t as well&nbsp;

 

It’s important to consider some soldiers might be dealing/dealt with several angles of hell&nbsp;

 

From an uncaring government, their own communities and what service did to them too&nbsp;

 

Though that isn’t the case for every person, depends on who they are and what they’ve been through

 

The military can provide for those who’ve been missing something or just never had a lot

 

Also consider that there’s more jobs than just the ones on the battlefield&nbsp;

 

Not everyone in the military is directly involved in every one of&nbsp; the powerful’s wars or plots&nbsp;

 

Some work more behind the scenes and try to live life off base before their eventual deployment

 

There can be plenty of difficult or grimy parts to a veteran’s life for sure&nbsp;

 

But if they can overcome those parts a certain level of pride and enjoyment that can be found&nbsp;

 

It’s definitely not an easy life though the difficulties again can depend on what you experience and who you are&nbsp;

 

So I think we can appreciate those who managed to stand above and still criticize the troubling machinations of the military’s dirtier workings and war

 

I’d say it’s important to recognize the veteran’s who struggled and acknowledge what’s deserved

 

Plenty deserve better, for all they’ve been put through and what some have been denied they deserve more

 

And there are also plenty of soldiers right now you could argue deserve that too&nbsp;

 

But let the veteran’s have their day which is the least they are due &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;  
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/pnG8aEM1