War Poem

A Soldier Not Making It Home

This is about a soldier who doesn't make it home to his wife, and he's telling her to remember him.

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This was a beautiful poem about the plight of all the men and women who sacrifice their lives daily for our freedom. The families and friends they leave behind for the love and cost for...

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If I Don't Make It Home

Published by Family Friend Poems October 2019 with permission of the Author.

If I don't make it home, please remember it wasn't because I didn't try.
The last thing I wanted was to make you cry.

I wanted more than anything to make it back to you,
But there was a job I just had to do.

As you were sleeping through the night,
We woke to the sound of gunfire; and I knew this would be my last fight.

It's my job to keep you safe and free,
And to do that I will give every ounce of me.

I am a soldier who will defend until the very end,
But that comes at a cost that I know I can't mend.

Keep a picture of me beside the bed and kiss me goodnight.
Imagine my arms around you, holding you tight.

Don't forget how my lips felt on yours.
Or my soft caress as our clothes fell to the floor.

Remember the warmth of my breathe as I whispered, "I love you," in your ear.
Just because I'm gone, my love doesn't disappear.

I know I broke my promise to be here to wipe away every tear.
You've cried a million of them every time you wished I were still here.

Please forgive me for leaving you so soon,
But my country called and needed me, too.

Interview with Top Poet Jodi M. Kucera

What makes this poem one of your favorites?
This poem is one of my favorites because I think it’s a reminder that the soldier leaves behind so much more than we often realize and that sometimes they don’t make it back at all. But the sacrifice doesn’t end there; their family’s sacrifice continues every day they wake up and deal with the realities of war.
A handful of your poems are about war and soldiers. What inspires you to write about these topics?
I'm inspired to write about war and soldiers because of the many Veterans I’m lucky enough to have in my life. Each of them with stories they are willing to tell and each of them with stories they can’t tell. My hope is to give them a voice for the ones they can’t tell, to show them appreciation for the things they’ve lived through, offer closure to the stories that still haunt them, and to make others realize the cost of freedom.
How has poetry helped you during tough times?
Poetry has given me a place to freely express myself without judgement, given me a voice when I felt like no one was listening, and a place where emotions are demanded to be dealt with.
What is your favorite experience that has resulted from being published on Family Friend Poems?
One of my favorite experiences about having my poems published on Family Friend Poems is seeing how they have impacted others around the world.