March 2026 Slice of Life, No. 9
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid.”
— President Harry S. Truman
I sit down at my departure gate to wait for our boarding call. Across from me sits a man. His head is shaved smooth. And though he is a young man, his face is weathered, etched with sad lines.
His eyes are distant, seeing things I don’t see.
His body’s too lean beneath his military fatigues; his shoulders slumped forward. And I wonder what weight they carry.
His hand lies ringless on the airport seat.
Against his leg rests a stainless steel cane with a battleship gray handle.
He rises from the seat slowly, unfolding himself with the help of his cane. And he stands motionless for a moment as if adjusting to a familiar pain.
He looks my way. I smile. A smile flickers through his eyes and plays briefly across his haggard features.
He moves away.
I wonder about the pain he has borne.
The pain he still bears.
The pain in his body.
The pain in his mind.
The pain in his heart.
It is a great price that he has paid for me, that I might live free.
Thank you Two Writing Teachers
for hosting Slice of Life Tuesday Challenge
where Alice Nine teaches language lessons that
Empower Students to Read and Write
LIke/Follow Alice Nine Academy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alice.nine.academy
I’m so glad you visited today,
and I do enjoy hearing from you!
Please share below.
Your comment will appear as soon as Alice Nine reads it.
Alice, this is so powerfully written. The slight smile, the pain, so many pains. You tell what you saw so well. My heart is breaking that, after a couple of years of no foreign wars, we have willy nilly started another one.
This is beautiful. When I see veterans, I always wonder about their often-untold stories.
I always wonder, too. So many don’t speak of it. I had two uncles who were fresh out of high school when they joined the army. They were part of D-Day and they survived the Battle of the Bulge. They didn’t talk of it. It was in their obituaries that I learned about the extend of their WWII involvement.
Alice, This is a stunning poem. The imagery you create paints such a heart-wrenching picture of a young man who has given his all. It is especially fitting to ponder our military, as more of them are engaged in active fighting and a few have already met death. Thank you!
Yes, Our gratitude cannot match their sacrifice… but we still need to express it.
Beautiful and heartbreaking. Your words are so powerful! My prayers follow that young soldier and all our military personnel. Their sacrifice is sometimes invisible and I am so glad you wrote of it today.
I feel a haunting ache and a deep gratitude when I visit memorials to our fallen military men and women.
Your description and your pondering had me right there in the moment with you. You have blessed this young man in a beautiful tribute, with gratitude and honor.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this reminder of the great price of freedom. These men and women are not just pictures on the TV; they are someone’s family member, and their lives can be forever changed.
Yes, they are forever changed, even when they come home without physical disabilities.
We do not realize the price others have paid for us to enjoy the freedoms we have.
You are so right!
This is a powerful slice. You’ve painted the picture with such carefully chosen and painful details. Your title says it all.
Thank you for sharing, Mollly.
You are such an observant person which comes through in this slice. You describe this man from head to toe and then add your inner thinking about meeting him through that smile exchange. And now you will have me thinking today of all who serve my country. Beautifully written slice.
Not long ago, I attended a graveside service at a veteran’s cemetery. It was such a powerful tribute with the playing of the Taps, the folding of the flag, and the escort of Patriot Guard Riders.
Thank you for a thoughtful tribute to all who serve. (My father served in the US Army, my husband served in both the US Air Force and US Army. and my son in the US Marines.)
Thank you to your family for their service!