I am Not A Soldier

I am Not A Soldier

You call me warrior, but I do not receive that title

I am a survivor, I am a mother, I am a friend

I am not a soldier

I have seen more than my share of blood and gore to be sure

But I know not the feeling of lying in a field soaked in the blood of my brethren

I do not dream of gunfire

I am not a soldier

I fought a war beneath my own skin

Enemy and ally entwined in flesh and bone

No retreat, no surrender, only forward

I am not a soldier

The battle begins and ends with me

I taste both victory and defeat on my tongue

The conflict swells, and subsides, and I wait

But I am not a soldier