A VIETNAM VET AT THE WALL
AS
HE STOOD BESIDE THE BLACK GRANITE WITH HIS HAND ABOVE A NAME,
HE
THOUGHT ABOUT HOW HE HAD CHANGED AND HOW LIFE WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME.
ABOUT
HOW SO MANY OF HIS FRIENDS AND COMRADES HAD BEEN LOST,
AND
HOW THE NIGHTMARES HAD KEPT HIM TEMPED TOSSED.
HE
RECALLED THE FACES OF THE NAMES UPON THAT BLACK WALL,
AND
HOW HE COULD DO NOTHING AS HE WATCHED THEM FALL.
ONE
BY ONE, THEY FELL TO THE GROUND,
AS
THE ENEMY FIRED THOSE FATAL ROUNDS.
HE
RECALLED THE BLOOD THAT WAS ALL AROUND,
AS
HE WENT FROM SOLDIER TO SOLDIER TO HEAR A BREATHING SOUND.
HOW
HIS MEDICAL SUPPLIES WERE NOT ENOUGH TO SAVE THEM ALL.
AS
HE WATCHED MORE AND MORE OF THEM FALL.
HE
RAISED HIS VOICE TO GOD, AND ASKED THE INSANITY TO CEASE.
AND
TO BRING TO THIS GOD FORSAKEN LAND SOME PEACE.
HE
HAD BANDAGED THE WOUNDED, AND SAID A PRAYER FOR THE DEAD,
IN
A LAND WHERE GOD’S ANGLES WOULD DARE NOT TREAD.
IN
HIS ARMS HE HELD HIS BLEEDING AND DYING FRIEND TED.
TED
HAD BEEN HIS BEST FRIEND SINCE THEY WERE SMALL,
AND
HE HAD WATCHED AS THE BULLET CAUSED HIS
FALL.
AND
NOW ALL THAT REMAINED WAS JUST A MEMORY,
AND
HIS NAME ENGRAVED UPON THAT WALL.
AS
THE MEMORY FADED OF THAT FATEFUL DAY IN NAM,
A
TEAR RAN DOWN HIS FACE AND HE FINALLY FELT PEACE AND CALM.
HE
TOOK HIS HAND AWAY FROM THE WALL AND PLACED A RED ROSE AT Its BASE.
BUT
AS HE DID SO, ONCE AGAIN HE SAW THAT YOUNG SOLDIER’S DYING FACE.
“TEDDY,
I FINALLY CAME TO THE WALL TO SAY MY GOOD BYES,”
AND
TO TELL YOU I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN THE DAY YOU DIED.
AFTER
ALL THIS TIME AND THROUGH MANY SHED TEARS,
YOU
HAVE REMAINED MY BEST FRIEND FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
WHEN
YOU DIED, I PRAYED THAT THE ANGELS WERE THERE TO TAKE YOU HOME,
AND
THAT GOD FOUND A SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOU TO ROAM.
I
HOPE THAT WHEN IT’S MY TURN, GOD WILL FIND A PLACE FOR ME TOO,
JUST
AN OLD SOLDIER WHO FOUGHT FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE.
AFTER
THIRTY SOME YEARS THE PAIN OF YOUR DEATH STILL HAUNTS ME,
SO
I LEAVE YOU THIS ROSE, AND A NOTE THAT SIMPLY SAYS,” LOVE YOUR FRIEND LEE.”
WITH
ONE MORE TOUCH, HE TURNED TO SLOWLY WALK AWAY,
AND
AS HE DID HE HEARD TEDDY’S VOICE SOFTLY SAY,
“DON’T
WORRY LEE, EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.”
“ALL
SOLDIERS ARE WELCOME IN HEAVEN ABOVE,
AND
WILL BE GREETED WITH THE OPEN ARMS OF GODS LOVE.”
SFC
SUSAN RAYE WHITE
10
JULY 2002