Around this time of year, my hometown pays tribute to the brave men and women fighting for our country, who are unable to celebrate with their families during Christmas time. As a city, we gather to create holiday boxes with food, games, clothing, and other essentials the troops will need in the coming year. Last year, I partnered with the Pleasanton Military Families Association, a collective group of military wives and children within my town, to write a series of Christmas thank you poems. These poems were shipped overseas to deployed soldiers throughout the entirety of the Holiday Season. Here is one such poem:
Today, in school, we learned of the greats
Washington, Napoleon, and others with triumphant face
We learned of their pursuits and tactics,
How they rowed across rivers and stormed cities,
But was it truly the leaders that impressed me?
No, it is the soldiers we credit to history,
Who fight on behalf of their mighty countries
They are loyal, honorable, and true,
Possessing a courage that I never knew
Though some may see them as victims of war and time
They are truly victors in my eyes.
