Things about American Veterans you cannot see

There is a long list of things you cannot see

My guilt

My shame

My pain

My heartache

My sense of loss

The things you can occasionally see

My rage

My frustration

My tears

My disgust

There are things in us all we can and cannot see

But the one thing everyone needs to remember

Each of those things are taken differently by each of us

When you say “Thank you for your service”

Some of us want to cry

Some of us want to say, “Please Don’t thank me”

Some of us want to wish you never had a reason to say it

Some of us didn’t do it for the “Thank You’s”  

Some of us wish you wouldn’t stare

Some of us wish you wouldn’t take our pictures without asking

Some of us like many “civilians” just want your respect without having to ask

We are those who took an oath

We are those who struggled through training

We are those who fought in a war

We are those who served in support of a war

We are those who served in Peacetime

We are those who served

All we want is

To receive our benefits

To get help as promised

To receive it in a timely manner

To not have to beg for mental health treatment

To not sit in the parking lot of the VA wishing they hadn’t turned me away

To not sit with guilt being laid upon us because we don’t want to live at this moment

We are American Veterans

We shouldn’t have to fight to live in peace once our service is over