I Always Knew You Wanted To Be A Marine

YOU WANTED TO BE A MARINE

My heart aches
when I reach across the bed,
in the deafening still of the night,
only to recall that you are gone.
Oh, how I miss
the safety of your arms around me.
But I always knew,
you wanted to be a Marine.
When I watch news of war,
the death and destruction
leave me frozen with a fear
I never knew existed.
I am consumed with an urgency
to pray for your safety.
Frustration emerges,
tears flow once again,
as I ask myself why,
you wanted to be a Marine.
Every minute of every day
I wait for word
that you are coming home.
I envision the moment
our lives will be reunited.
When our hopes and dreams
become real,
not simply etched
like this on paper
to be sent
thousands of miles away.
I plead with God
to replace my anger
with understanding,
as I am once again reminded,
that you wanted to be a Marine.
It is then I reflect
on how deeply I love you,
the pride that I feel
hand in hand
right beside you,
how an entire nation
admires and respects you.
And at this very moment,
this place in time,
there appears God's Grace.
And I give thanks.
Because I understand why,
you wanted to be a Marine.