ONCE WE WERE SOLDIERS
H. W. Bryce
Once we were soldiers, now we are not…
We were wounded. we died;
Now it is trouble is all that we got.
Once we fought on the battleground,
Now we fight the battle at home.
We sleep on sidewalks, cardboard
For sheets, pillows of newspaper domes.
Stuff that we gathered we carry for trade.
Once we got free cigarettes,
Now we scrabble for butts on the ground
This is the booty of freedom we’ve found.
The contract is broken, our faith tossed aside;
We agreed to fight for you, for our nation’s pride,
You agreed to “hold and to keep” us in times of peace.
But here we all are, no tent for our keep,
Only lonely old sidewalks and eyes that peep
As we straggle along, no longer in step,
No pride and no hope and broken hard sleep.
Oh, king and country, we stood on guard for thee…
Where now is your compassion for we
Who stood at arms and fired the gun.
When the enemy threatened, we did not run…
Once we were soldiers, who stood proud and tall.
Once we were soldiers, we stood so proud and so tall!
We marched into battle, our nerves did not rattle,
We stood up to barrages, we saw comrades fall,
We prevailed through skirmishes, we won that war’s battle…
Brother, can you spare me some time? I’d like to talk it all over,
Find me some peace for a while inside. I have these cold nightmares
Inside where I live, no house or no home, cardboard for a bed…
An hour, a meal, hot coffee and I’ll tell you my tale,
Just please, if you give me some time.
Once we were soldiers, we marched with such pride,
We stood so tall, and you favoured us then;
Why have you forsaken your favourite sons?
You say you will help, we’re asking you, when?
—H. W. Bryce is the author of Chasing a Butterfly, A journey in poems of love and loss to acceptance.
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Roughly 160,000 veterans experienced homelessness over the course of the year (about 10% of the total homeless population). Roughly 44,000 to 66,000 veterans are experiencing chronic homelessness. (US)
—https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/veterans-experiencing-homelessness
CANADA ; In absolute numbers, 338 individuals were identified as Veterans. Extrapolating this 15% sample to the full population of shelters suggests there may be 2,250 Veterans using emergency homeless shelters annually in Canada.Mar 22, 2019
—https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/homelessness/publications-bulletins/veterans-report.html
