It’s saying goodbye to the one you love,
The quiver of your lips as yours touch his for the very last time,
Before he leaves you hug him tight,
Hoping to God that he will return
It’s having a child without your husband at your side,
He fights in a battle that you cannot control,
Who wins or who loses,
Who dies or who lives.
It’s staying up all night praying for his safe return,
Counting each day,
Praying it won’t be his last,
Your heart tightening, making you unable to breathe.
It’s getting the letter that he has died in action,
Holding back your tears as you tell your daughter to be brave,
Feeling hopeless and empty,
Hating how the world could be so cruel.
It’s being at his funeral,
Seeing a mashed up face of a man as he lay before you,
Praying that it is the wrong guy,
Hoping it is only a nightmare.
It’s raising your daughter all by yourself
Moving forward from the loss that you kept so dear to your heart,
Clutching her close as she looks at you with those same eyes as his,
Hearing how much she loves you just as he once did.