American Warrior

I can remember the thoughts,
The words flowing through my mind,
Horrible things thought that day,
People all around me hugging and laughing,
Smiles on their faces masking the horror of what was to come,
Embracing the last few moments together before the separation that was inevitable,
The worry begins to appear the longer we wait,
The feeling of terror begins to emerge,
Slowly at first showing only through the panicked look in their eyes,
Then the time is always at the front of their minds,
Lastly they will hold on tight and refuse to let go,
“What if?” is the most common question thought though never asked,
Like a nightmare in which you can’t wake up,
So many things could happen,
So many things could go wrong,
But away he’ll go,
Across the world to an unknown place,
A place full of hate,
A place for the warrior