Monica L. Murphy

FORTITUDE

When he was a teenager, not quite yet a man;
The doctor said “get to Lackland as fast as you can”.
I was amazed at his attitude;
He faced the diagnosis with fortitude.

When he was a young man just one day eighteen;
He joined the Army to serve his country.
I was still quite impressed with my little dude;
He had won a battle with faith and fortitude.

When he was just nineteen off to war he went;
He never questioned the orders of his President.
I was terrified but never showed my somber mood;
As he left for Iraq with strength and fortitude.

He had just turned twenty when an ambush occurred;
His Commander gravely wounded when we got the word.
His mannerisms changed we could sense it in his moods;
Still he served his country with a solid fortitude.

I will never forget his surprise visit on that day;
We only had him for the two weeks they let him stay.
His interactions with his sister showed a change in attitude;
He was more protective with his quiet fortitude.

Today he still faces battles though he’s no longer in the war;
Nightmares and demons shake him to the very core.
After a year and a half, please forgive me if I’m rude;
When his country finally acknowledges a soldier’s fortitude.

There’s a new member in our family, a houseguest who never leaves;
His name is quite a long one so just say PTSD.
There’s anger in this mama who understands his solitude;
And knows the VA doesn’t have this young man’s fortitude.

You all have heard the scandal surrounding Walter Reed;
It’s only just the surface of what these veterans need.
The first and I’m not scared to say it even should you think it’s rude;
We need a MORAL President, this one has NO fortitude.