Sonnet of Loss
When we got the letter, my hands shook.
You could have stayed, but that was not your desire.
Short, clipped words were all it took
To send you on the path you so admire.
To you, the letter was like a dare.
I supported you, acting through my lie,
When you called it a burden you were willing to bear.
I helped you get ready for your time to fly.
You stood tall in your uniform, strong and true,
And your confident smile and shortened hair
Were part of your promise to the red, white, and blue.
I watched you go and told myself that it was fair.
When I got the letter, my heart tore.
Those clipped little words said you’d died in the war.