Silently Waiting

I wrote this for my sister's departure to Afghanistan. It's a little over a year old but I thought I would share.

She stands in the warmth of the September sun, awaiting her leave,

I wait with her, feeling empty like a bag blowing helplessly in the wind.

The tears in the eyes of the crowd, afraid for their loved ones,

Wondering how they’ll survive the year of not knowing of their futures.

 

She stands before the bus, which will take her to war

Where the uniform she wears will offer no protection

From the bombs and the hate of the world.

But she acts fearless as she poses with the others

In what could be her last ever picture.

 

I could cry and beg for her so stay with me,

But that would do nothing to support the life she’s chosen.

And there’s nothing more I want to do than to prove

That no matter how it goes, it’s her life and I’m proud.

 

But when one’s best friend is sent to fight for the stars and the stripes,

The dread hangs in the air like a mist, ever present.

And the hardest moment will always be,

When one can’t know if this is the end.