To Our National Heroes & My Own Homegrown Collazo Heroes

From the land where our beautiful stars and stripes still waves
To our soldiers overseas, who still have sand getting into their ears,
We know that you’re sacrificing and giving it your all,
So that back home we can live and love, and go for the long haul.

From the shopkeeper at home trying to keep his business vibrant and alive
To the soldier in a foxhole in a far off land just trying to survive.
We know that you’ve suffered and sometimes died,
So that those of us back home can lie around the house, breathe, and just reside.

From the kid down the block writing on the sidewalk with his chalk,
To the soldier searching for Bin Laden in caves,
We know you’ve bled and lost limbs; have returned back in boxes for us to put you in graves,
So that we can all live in peace in the home where our flag still waves.

From a Vietnam-era veteran who never got a chance to serve in combat,
To you, our real war veterans, you are our great national heroes.
Know that you’ve kept us safe from the worse,
You’ve saved us like a great, dedicated 24 hour nurse.

To my own homegrown war heroes, Uncles’ Pete, Rudy, Nacho, Meme, Raul, George, Oscar, and Fernando, you deserve a great plaque,
So I salute you; for when your call came to attack, you didn’t look back.
Know that your time in war was not in vain;
For you kept us all free so that we could just enjoy the best of what is good that remains.

Robert Collazo, 11/09/08.