In honor of memorial day...

This is a poem I wrote right after Washington D.C.
The Veteran
By HaNnAh

I
I’ve walked these paths before
A great many times before
I’ve come to visit my friends
The ones who were the closest
We fought beside each other
And died beside each other
In the war.
The long war
The one no one really liked
It was against communism
It went on for nineteen long years.

II
I’ve walked these paths before
To visit my friends
On the wall.
I’ve been here so often
Before
That I know exactly
Where they are.
I never bring them things
Except me
Mostly just to think
And remember
And touch their names
And cry.

III
I have not walked these paths before
But something tells me to go
I walk a shady avenue
Solemn as I go
When we came back
From the war
No one cheered
At least not as loud
They were glad it was over
But not as much as us.
But we are not remembered
At least not as much.

IV
I walk a shady avenue
I come upon a statue
Not yet turned green
Of a soldier
Standing tall
Head high
Proud.
A plaque says that this statue
Of this proud soldier
Is a memorial
Of my war.
And then I see it
A paper
A letter
For me.
The person who wrote it
Doesn’t know me
But they thought of me.
The letter wasn’t long
It wasn’t grand
It wasn’t a fussy
Fluffy letter
Lost of meaning
And of love.
This letter
(The one to me)
Was short
Simple
And perfect.
“Thank You”
I sat there long
Sounds of the war in my head
I cry.
A crumpled old man
At the feet of that proud soldier
Shaking.