Where Do I Belong?

Up at 0500

The sunrise rolled in like a drill sergeant’s bark,

Even on leave

Every step had a purpose, every move was sound.

The boots on my feet, they carried my pride,

The flag on my shoulder, stitched into my soul,

Every stitch of that uniform held who I was inside.

The person I became fit a world in control.

The military was my life

The routines were all I knew

That uniform was my skin,

my shield, my kin,

It held me together when the storms rolled in.

Those people got me through

Honor was my only code

Now I’m lost, I’m untied, I don’t fit this fight,

Like a shadow misplaced in the glow of the light.

I’m staring at this crowd

Asking God what do I do now?

Where do I belong, when the fight is gone?

The rhythm of the march has left me alone.

This world moves too loose, no compass, no song,

I'm lost in the quiet — where do I belong?

The sound of the rifles still echo at night,

They called us brothers, sisters, now I’m just a face,

In a world that keeps spinning, but I’ve lost my place.

I'm used to the marching

The yes sir, the ground

Now it's traffic and emails

And this too-quiet town

I'm just a person in the quiet, counting their scars.

Now I wake to silence, no orders, no calls,

Just shadows on the drywall, and these empty halls.

I traded my stripes for a common shirt,

The laughter feels hollow, the faces seem strange,

A soldier out of battle is a person out of range.

Where do I belong, when the fight is gone?

The rhythm of the march has left me alone.

This world moves too loose, No compass, no song,

I'm lost in the quiet — where do I belong?

I still scan every rooftop

Walking downtown

Old habits and hauntings

I can't put down

I'm stuck between worlds.

Where does that leave me?

The medals collect dust, they don’t ease the ache,

Of a heart that’s still marching -

Though the body’s at stake.

They thank me for my service, but their words don't land,

It's hard to shake a stranger's unsteady hand.

Maybe the mission

Ain’t over, just changed

Maybe there’s purpose

In carrying the names

Maybe the strength

Ain’t just in the fight

It's learning to live

In the soft of the night