Your family sits by the phone waiting
Hoping for some news on your brother.
Sister sits by the door
Hoping the mail man comes with a letter from the front
The day comes when news does arrive
It comes in the form of a military officer “Your son has
died” he says
Momma collapse against dad crying
Dad stands stoically looking at the officer
“Did he die honorably?”
The officer nods hoping to sooth you
Your family takes this knowledge and hides in it
What comfort is there in dying honorably?
That knowledge will be a crutch
Your family will never accept the loss
They will say “He died honorably”
But never that he died.
Never that he died.
Another family was lucky,
Their son Johnny came home.
He lost his leg from the knee down.
The left side of Johnny’s face is torn up.
He was caught in the blast of shrapnel.
He will never be whole but he is home.
Johnny came over after the officer left
He said he had been a friend of your son’s
Johnny has a letter for you
Your son had given it to him before dying.
He says he is sorry for your loss
Johnny leaves you to grieve.
To Everyone Back Home,
If this came then I am gone
Don’t think that I died honorably
I died because my country put me to death
They sent all of us to war.
By doing that they sentenced us to death.
Take care of yourselves
Don’t let our country continue killing
These people we are fighting
They are just as confused as we are.
They are fighting because they must.
They are fighting because they have no choice.
I love you all
Kids take care of Mom and Dad
Watch yourself when the government starts the Draft
Dad, take care of your self.
Mom keep reading your Bible
And all of you, remember me.
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