The Old Veteran remembers his friends from the war who never came home |
If you haven't done so yet, you may want to read "The Old Veteran" , it's the prequel to this one. 32 Lines The Old Veteran’s Friends The old veteran had been honored by a small parade, Though it made him tired, his memories did cascade He thought of all his friends that had died in the war, Many perished quickly, on those foreign shores He thought of his friend Paul, killed by a sniper’s gun Then Roger and Mark, trampled when their post was overrun Tears filled his eyes as his memories ran rampant Everyone of them dead, yet all so valiant Richard had a wife, who quickly was a widow But in dying he saved lives, became a hero Doug was so young, he was barely a man But he’d fought heroically, as only a warrior can He recalled the kamikazis; they had no fear The roar of flamethrowers, still heard by his ears The screams of wounded, the silence of the dead It was amazing that he’d managed to not lose his head Many friends names were forgotten in time But their faces remained, etched in his mind He would never forget their valor, or sacrifice Somehow he’d survived, was it a roll of the dice? His tears turned to sobs as his memories ran riot His sons hugged him close, ‘til finally he was quiet He'd received the many honors one could earn in war The Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and many more. At the end of the day, an old friend came to see him Others had made it too, Jerry was one of them He had barely survived that battle so long ago The old veteran save them all, from death’s final blow. They sat together and talked of their friends long gone. Of D-Day, the days following, from dusk til dawn. At the end of the day, they prayed once more, Thanked God for their lives, their spirits did soar. Jim Dorrell 11/6/10 |