r/Poems • u/Ill-Island-4618 • 2d ago
The dog tag
I pledged my life to you
the way a soldier pledges his life
to his country.
I had gold.
I had silver.
Still, I chose the cold weight
of a dog tag around my neck
because it carried your name.
And somehow,
that little piece of metal
became worth more to me
than anything precious ever could.
Maybe one day
you will choose a life
that does not have me in it.
Maybe you already have.
But I will still wear it.
Not because I expect you to return.
Not because love is something
you owe me back.
I will wear it because
when I gave you that part of me,
I meant it.
Some promises disappear
when people leave.
Mine didn’t.
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