Love Poem: Why I Fight For This Country
Eric Bradshaw Avatar
Written by: Eric Bradshaw

Why I Fight For This Country

It’s foggy
I see people in the background
Running back and forth
But I can't make out who they are
 
I walk closer to see who they are
It looks like a girl
I get closer, she starts to run
Time for the chase, a chase to see who it is
 
I see a house, she runs inside
It’s a big blue house with a large front yard and a white picket fence
I knock on the door to see if anyone’s home
I walk in and in the house the fog has followed me in
 
I hear creaking foot steps coming from upstairs
I slowly walk up and stare at the wall
Its picture of me with an unknown family
A son, 2 daughters and a beautiful wife
 
I’m standing in the background in my navy whites
Where is this place, who are those persons?
Whose house is this?
Where are all the people?
 
I make it up stairs and see the children’s room. 
Daughters. It looks like twins, twins sleeping in the room all tucked in
The fog is slowly clearing, I’m getting confused
What life if this, whose shoes are these?
 
I walk further down the hall,
The next room is his.
The son in the picture,
Full of trophies and figs.
 
He looks like a sports jock
How many trophies he has
He’s sleeping with his shirt off
But still tucked in like a kid
 
I say good night
And slowly close the door
I feel this is natural
As I see his night light turn on.
 
I continue with my journey
With every step the fog clears
I see the master bedroom
And take a peek whose inside
 
I see a women, her back is turned
The women in the photo but can make out her face.
I can hear her laugh
My heart it pumping
She says to me "you’re finally home!"
 
Sounds like an angel sing
Who is this woman, what is this feeling?
She has her faced turned to her shoulder, like she wants to speak
Still can’t make out her face, its very mystique.  
 
I walk closer, I see her ring
Could this be the love of my life?
I get a little closer to see who she is
I trip and fall down 8 feet into the rhib
 
I’m on a small boat in the water splashing. 
Was I dreaming, or did that happen?
 
It’s the life I dreamed,
What I wish I had.
I fight for this country 
So everyone else can have
 
The dream that I wished for
Everyday I wake
I gave up my dream
So the whole world can take it.