Poems by Jodi M. Kucera

We have an understanding, you and I.
We sit in silence; nothing needs to be said.

I know the weight you carry.
You hold your head high, but inside you cry.

The life of a soldier is not an easy one.

Memories haunt you!
But you stand tall and show no fear.

The life of a soldier is not an easy one.

You hear voices of days past come rushing to your head.
You think to yourself, "He was a good one; why is he dead?"

You wonder if you should have done things differently.
No time to think, only react.

The life of a soldier is not an easy one.

The guilt is too much to bear.
Although you were wounded, you question,

"Why him and not me?"
You can't forget the faces that were there.

The life of a soldier is not an easy one.

We have an understanding, you and I.
You're a soldier for life; and it has not been an easy one.

You look at me and only see the cracks,
Fractured, like a piece of glass.

Some are shallow and straight,
Created by silently carrying so much weight.

Others are round and splayed like stars,
Words, a solar system of scars.

Some are deep and cut to my core,
From trials I thought I could no longer endure.

Some hold tightly to splintering shards that still cut,
A painful reminder every time they are touched.

Others are jagged and worn,
And some are occupied with scorn.

Some of them are lessons,
Regretfully brought on by my own transgressions.

All of them create an intricate mosaic of intertwined lines,
Reminders of the things I’ve survived.

A prismatic display of beauty and strength;
Though I am fractured, I did not break.

No presents bought, no candles blown; this year you walk on streets of gold,
And it's so much more than the stories you've been told.

The sun is shining on your face,
and you're standing in all of God's good grace.

There were people there to meet you at that pearly gate.
Promise for me there too you will wait.

The angels no longer sing from up above;
but hand in hand together, you sing about God's love.

No more pain, no more strife,
but the gift of eternal life.

The sufferings of this world are left behind.
You made your mark; your life was not left undefined.

You told people of your Savior's love and how he died for you and me
so we could spend our time praising him for all eternity.

Someday we'll meet again,
for time is just a vapor in the wind.

But until that day comes, I will miss you every day.
I just wanted to wish you a happy heavenly birthday.

I'm frightened by the enormity of the mountains that surround me,
Blinded by the darkness of troubles of which the end I cannot see.

I'm drowning in worry and my soul is weary,
These burdens I can no longer carry.

This is known as "The Valley," a place of deep despair,
With no hope in sight, I fall to my knees in prayer.

"Lord, this journey is too hard, and I feel so alone,
And I'm so afraid of all the unknowns."

The Lord took me by the hand,
And in that moment, he helped me to understand.

He said, "My child, though the valley can be painful, it is a place of beauty,
For it's in these moments you experience me fully.

It's here where I hear your cries,
And where faithlessness dies.

It's a place of low-lying rivers where your thirst can be quenched,
And green pastures that offer you a place to reflect.

It's a place where I'll carry you when you can't take another step,
And I'll tell you about the tears I collected as you wept.

It's a place where you'll learn perseverance,
And one where you'll discover your purpose.

It's a journey where testimonies are made,
And one where when you look back, you will sing my praise.

So, no matter how painful, look for the beauty; just open your eyes,
For it is then that you'll see me walking by your side."

A man walked up to me some time ago.
He had a story he wanted me to know.

He reached out his hand to shake mine,
And it took me back to a place and time.

He told me he was a soldier in World War II,
A POW in Moosburg; sad but true.

As he began to tell the story, I could see in his eyes,
He'd gone back to that place in his mind.

He said "110,000 men walked through those gates.
The Nazis were filled with nothing but hate.

The camp was thronged
And we knew our stay there would be long.

The floor was hard and the nights were cold.
Young men grew malnourished and old.

They must have feared me because I was put in a cage,
And all I could do was pray.

I cannot tell you how many days I was there,
Only that every day I said the same prayer.

I asked the Lord to send someone our way,
to get us out of there and take us far away.

On April 25,1945,
He sent someone just when I was ready to give up and die.

The Fourteenth Armored Division came crashing through.
It was The Liberators, with a job to do.

They were there to set us free!"
And with a smile he said, "Everyone erupted with glee.

A soldier came running my way,
And he reached down and opened my cage.

After all these years I never forgot that man's face or what he did for me.
My only regret, I didn't get to thank him when I got up from bended knee.

Now he's standing in front of me shaking my hand.
So thank you sir, because you were that man."

A match was struck that ignited the flame.
Now ashes and rubble are all that remain.

Defeated, she's left standing alone,
As her soul cries out in wordless groans.

Clouds of smoke consume her, and tears cut her dusty face.
Her grief lay heavy like the smoky haze.

Singed and covered in embers and ash,
Evidence of her battles present and past.

Broken and weak she had grown tired,
And all she could see was the fire.

She had dreamed of being a warrior, but she was afraid,
And in this moment, herself she had betrayed.

And then off in the distance, a shadow among the dancing blaze,
Walking toward her, a woman, strong and brave.

A warrior, wielding a sword and her battle cry loud.
She ran into battle and confidently howled.

She would stop at nothing to help those in need,
For her roots of strength ran deep.

She was fearless and disciplined in patient determination,
And the girl was filled with awe and admiration.

She was the woman she prayed she would be.
Then the woman, seeing the girl, held her hand out and said, "Come with me."

"Let me show you the strength you hope to find.
It's not something that's given but learned and refined."

As she looked the warrior in the eyes, she noticed a familiarity,
And for the first time, the girl saw her battles with clarity.

The warrior woman was her all along.
Each battle she faced was only making her strong.

"These battles are the answer to what you have prayed,
For warriors aren't born, they're made."