what we don't know

what we don’t know

a poem to honor Veterans

by troy cady

When i say we

i mean, of course,

those like me

who have never served

as you have served.

What we don’t know

is the price you’ve paid,

the lives you’ve saved,

the pain you’ve borne

and the bruises you’ve worn.

What we don’t know

is the life you lost,

and what it cost

your family,

the broken bones,

the sacrifice of dreams

and a place called home,

the desolate places you’ve roamed,

hoping for hope.

What we don’t know

is the fear that laced

tight your throat,

what you saw when God’s face

vanished from sight,

like flight from the shore

at night in a storm.  

What we don’t know won’t hurt us

because

what you know is what can hurt us.