The Lies of Freedom.

You are told this is how a young man
finds honor, that to die for one's country
would be the ultimate sacrifice;
yet it's no secret we purposefully fund wars -
America's greed as the largest arms dealer.

Feeling like there is no other option,
wanting to secure an education and future,
you trek into unknown territory with head lifted
and leave all security you've ever had behind -
now you aim to please the greatest puppeteer
so war can keep the world centered.

No guidelines exist on how to return home
after being injured then discharged;
you roam cities that once welcomed with open arms,
strangers who once clothed and cared for wounds...
these streets now call you an outsider
as you wander without a dollar to your name,
trying to set up camp where the law won't forbid it.

And we let you freely bleed
while propaganda continues,
sending troops to a relentless, meaningless war
only to leave them begging on intersections
cold, hungry and fighting PTSD.

-

"The only way to honor fallen soldiers is to stop creating so many of them."