Dear America
by Sara Richards
Dear America,
You can be anything you want.
Really, can I? Or is that just another one of your lies you tell to us as we are young and mold-able?
Santa wasn't real, neither was the tooth fairy.
Can I trust you when you tell me I can be anything I put my mind to?
As someone who is pretty grounded, although a realistic dreamer, I found out what I want to be.
Nothing crazy like a superhero with powers, a fairy, or mermaid, I want to be a soldier.
I want to be a solider of the United States Army.
I had a dream that was realistic, so I put my trust in your magical words of “you can be anything you want.”
However, your words were not strong enough, it was just another one of your lies you told to me while I was still young and mold-able.
How can something that made me who I am stop me from being what I want to be?
Although I am still alive, can I say my attempts were successful?
You’re only allowed four scars.
But…
That’s an automatic disqualification ma’am. Mental problems, ya know? We can’t have that here.
No… I don’t know. I was told I could be anything I wanted…
The scars of my past are now a wall blocking my future.
If you knew the things that caused these what are now scars on my body you would have no doubt that I am stronger than the average American soldier.
You would have no doubt that I can carry on with heavy emotional burdens, past assaults, physical pain, and verbal abuse like nothing is wrong.
That I am one of the few that will allow you to mind fuck and manipulate me without a reason and love you like you’re doing nothing wrong.
That I can pull my weak beaten body off the ground with my fellow soldier over my shoulder ready to do it all again if need be.
But, dear America, you’ll regret not getting me when you had the chance because, I am not only Army Strong, I am the strongest woman you’ll never get.
You can be anything you want.
Really, can I? Or is that just another one of your lies you tell to us as we are young and mold-able?
Santa wasn't real, neither was the tooth fairy.
Can I trust you when you tell me I can be anything I put my mind to?
As someone who is pretty grounded, although a realistic dreamer, I found out what I want to be.
Nothing crazy like a superhero with powers, a fairy, or mermaid, I want to be a soldier.
I want to be a solider of the United States Army.
I had a dream that was realistic, so I put my trust in your magical words of “you can be anything you want.”
However, your words were not strong enough, it was just another one of your lies you told to me while I was still young and mold-able.
How can something that made me who I am stop me from being what I want to be?
Although I am still alive, can I say my attempts were successful?
You’re only allowed four scars.
But…
That’s an automatic disqualification ma’am. Mental problems, ya know? We can’t have that here.
No… I don’t know. I was told I could be anything I wanted…
The scars of my past are now a wall blocking my future.
If you knew the things that caused these what are now scars on my body you would have no doubt that I am stronger than the average American soldier.
You would have no doubt that I can carry on with heavy emotional burdens, past assaults, physical pain, and verbal abuse like nothing is wrong.
That I am one of the few that will allow you to mind fuck and manipulate me without a reason and love you like you’re doing nothing wrong.
That I can pull my weak beaten body off the ground with my fellow soldier over my shoulder ready to do it all again if need be.
But, dear America, you’ll regret not getting me when you had the chance because, I am not only Army Strong, I am the strongest woman you’ll never get.