War Within

There is a different war we are subjected to today.
It takes just as many of our young men and women today.
We fight this war in much more subtler ways,
but everyone will eventually pay, just the same.

Instead of this war happening outside our country,
we battle this one right within,
instead of enemies of flesh, colors of skin,
material, the color of paper oh so very thin.

Maybe you've caught on by now
with this war we fight, how
its not against person or idea-
instead of lovers saying painful goodbyes
with tag lines like, "we shall be reunited once the fighting ceases..."
our young ones say their goodbyes,
maybe in less painful ways
when they hear, "I'll get off tonight at 9."

And just like young ones gave their lives then,
the same thing happens again
and people will only just say,
that this is the way its always been.

A much subtler war,
and a much quieter way to die-
giving our lives to paper- to money that never truly buys
freedom or peace of mind.
Our souls live subjected to our debt,
and we live only trying to forget.

But I can't help but feel connected, to those who had to say goodbye then-
to saying goodbye baby now.
And no, I'm not trying to trivialize,
and I know not everyone will really realize
that the words I speak aren't meant to belittle those who gave their lives.

I just gotta say, at the hand of my last job
my soul almost died, I almost gave it right up
for the sake of one more paycheck
and to me, that's worse than dying.
And I have to let him work,
he has to let me go to work,
and we both have to say... everyday-
"I'll see you tonight, once I'm off at 9."

"I don't sleep most nights. My girl- she tries her best to comfort me,
But I'm still wide awake most nights, questioning our security.
And I realize that I've missed my kid's lives-
their birthdays, their summer days, and moments to just look in their little eyes.
Their childhood is so fast gone, and I know my actions- meant for all the right reasons, will only seem, in their little eyes, so wrong.
So this is what keeps me awake at night:
I keep recalling, keep working.
I say I did this for them, I still do this for them-
its to make their future bright, to make sure they can live right,
but I sit here wide awake still worried-
still to work, still to fight
and still missing many nights with my lovely wife,
because this is my duty to make [FIGHT] money."

We live in a world built on the foundation of a previous generation.
I lost my parents when I was young, but not to war, no, to their jobs.
And when I was older they explained what had kept them so far away.
And I know I'm bound to do the same-
work away while my children are at home to play
while I make more money day by day
and when they're older I'll be the one having to explain,
why I had to do it this way, much like how our soldiers who come home will have to explain the war that has kept them
so very far... and why daddy or mommy
will never say they'll be home by 9-
because they'll be permanently away.

We had to do it this way.
Because like the soldier can't forget
the sounds of guns firing and bombs dropping,
we know the sound of our guns, our bombs-
the economy ever rising and falling.