I stand looking at my reflection,

seeing a woman of common dimension.

All of this on my shoulders,

no power, no strength, only hours.

I feel so small, so weak, so afraid.

I don’t know how to fix the mess that’s made.

Few stand behind me,

few stand beside me,

it feels like it is all on me.

Still I trudge forward,

up that lonely hill,

with everyone against me,

under the power of my own will.

I feel pressed time and time again,

“your going to die under the strain,”

“you’ll never see your daughter again.”

“you can’t handle the pain.”

As I walk alone into this foriegn land,

under foriegn rules and plans,

I feel the sting a common refrain,

you can’t do this and stay sane.

My friends ask what is the point?

The point is to do right,

by the ones I love inspite,

of how much it hurts to see them this way,

the point is to be better than most in this day.

As I see my daughter’s mind slip,

my thoughts are brought to him.

What sadness he must have felt to see me that way,

and how strong to let go and walk away.

Yet, I feel he could have done better,

and I will show him how,

we don’t leave our loved ones,

when they need us now.

I will never know the pain he felt.

nor the troubles with which he dealt,

but I pray my example shines brightly upon his eyes,

and our son…never leave a loved one behind enemy lines.