Don't Take It For Granted

By Thefallenpetal

905 138 141

A poem about the prices people pay More

Don't Take It For Granted

905 138 141
By Thefallenpetal

-Click-

A couple's anniversary

She stands at the side of the train station

He steps on the train and feels as it rumbles

She kicks her heels off and is at a sprint, almost tumbles

Barefoot down the cold-hard sidewalk she dashes

 He presses his face up against the icy window

Looking out at the wife who he already misses

He can barely see her

she's almost become a blur

Her feet finally give

She feels held captive

Letting her eyes swell with tears

He looks down at his camouflage uniform

Thinking that it's probably for the best

Knowing of the clear skies after the storm

-Click-

That's all it takes one click

One click of a camera's shutter

There you have it,

One frozen moment in time

 -Click-

 The Private looks down at the gun in her hands

Wondering if today is the day

She knows her commands

The Private has never killed before

Then she remembers the pre-war

Holding her babies tight

That is why she's in this fight

Standing, watching memories unfold

Everything is stone-cold

But this is why I take pictures

So no one forgets about the soldiers

 -Click-

 The Corporal heard a bullet dart past his ear

He looked over his shoulder to see his ultimate fear

It was his best friend, partner in crime

Trying to fight against time

Fighting to survive

-Click-

It's never fun to stand and take these pictures

it's kind of torturous really

Watching the attackers prey on the survivors

And the only reason why I -click- is for the reality of it all

-Click-

The Captain sits with his head in his hands

He doesn't want to give the commands

It's a suicide mission

But he knows about the women and children

The ones trapped by crossfire

By the people who won't cease fire

So here he stands

considering about giving the commands

But what monster would send his soldiers

To death, destruction, and unspeakable horrors?

-Click-

I take the pictures

Not just for the soldiers

But for the people who don't know

Can't comprehend what others have to let go

In order to keep the people

Safe from the unthinkable

 -Click-

The sergeant just received a letter from the mail call

She looked at the truck, and it was quite the haul

It was filled with letters upon letters

She looked down at her's and saw it was from her family members

Her grin was as wide as a Cheshire cat's

Once she finally opened it, she nearly collapsed

In the corner was the date, stating it was sent Monday

The letter said it happened on a workday

That her happy and healthy father had a brain aneurism

That he had suddenly fallen victim

right down into death's grasp

and as she read the news all she could do was gasp

She then rapidly tried to finish the letter

To only  find out it didn't get any better

The letter said that the funeral was to be held that Friday

Well, It's Saturday

-Click-

 Some of these moments I capture in pictures

Some are captured by others in scriptures

But for the millions of others that are not

let us keep that after thought

 -Click-

The Lieutenant just got back from serving

And now he's sitting here questioning

Trying to ask himself why he did what he did

Putting himself in a place where he was emotionally tormented

However he knows the answer to why

It was because he wanted to apply

Try and enter a decent college

Because to make it in this world you need that type of knowledge

The only way he was going to get that knowledge was if he served

But he didn't know that the price would be on those terms

As he stands on the steps that lead to the university

He thinks of the things he did especially

What he had to do to stand on these steps today

And all he can think and say

Is that no man should have to kill for knowledge

Not even to go to college

-Click-

This is what happens when you're a photographer

You tend to find the emotions that run deeper

Our job is to uncover those emotions like the ultimate exposure

 -Click-

The General just got off his plane

He was leaving behind years of war and disdain

As he was going to pick up his baggage

He looked up and saw his wife, already holding his luggage

The second he saw her he was already rushing toward her

He grabbed her, wrapped her in his arms and noticed

She still smelled like lavender

-Click-

Those are the moments a photographer lives for

The moment a family reunites

especially after a long distant war

 -Click-

An uncompleted mission

Followed by a somber procession

It was a life cut short

The flag draped casket slowly makes it's way

To it's final place where it'll stay

Left behind you'll find a grieving family

Mom, Dad, and little brother Billy

-Click-

While I stand and take these pictures

I look over to see the resting places of other fallen soldiers

Marked by the rows and rows and rows

Of white weather-worn gravestones

-Click-

Now I understand the price that has and is still being paid

For us to wake up and enjoy our freedom every single day

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