THE LETTER
Children play, to the end of the day,
Not understanding why their father’s away.
They go home to their mother, crying and say,
“Where did daddy go? We want him to play.”
Mother cries, Knowing why,
Her husband’s away, on this very day.
He left for work, and never came home,
Now this happy family’s all alone.
Grandfather prays, that his son’s okay,
He knew this would happen all along, as the days wore on.
“Son’s away, for a very long time,”
Then a letter comes, written in lines.
“Mother, father, my wife and my kids, please don’t be mad, and what I did.
I’m far from home, feeling so alone,
But you’re safe and sound, my hear’s at peace for now.
I’m helping others, bringing peace to their land,
There are so many dangers, still at hand.
War isn’t pretty, please understand, this morning I buried my friend in the sand.
Please don’t tell the children, but I thought you should know,
My thoughts race of you all, my heart’s still at home.
I love you all, and I want you to see, that I’m helping others, to be free.
I have to go now, I hear gunfire and booms. To my children, make sure you clean your rooms.
Listen to mommy, grandma and grandpa too. Please be strong, it’s all up to you.”
With the conclusion of the letter, mother cries.
Grandpa hands her a handkerchief, to dry her eyes.
They all hug, they all cry,
Praying that their son, their husband, their father, hasn’t died.
Five months later, mother stands at the door, holding something, just newly born.
She stares out the window, and cries when she sees, her husband’s home at last, but his face as solemn as can be.
Sitting in the dark, talking with them all, he speaks not of what he’s seen, he doesn’t feel so tall.
As they go off to bed, his wife, on his chest, rests her head.
She sits up, and sees his arm, healing wounds are found, and she becomes alarmed.
“How’d you get this wound?” She asks, pointing to one.
“I took that one for John.”
“And this one?” She asks, holding his hand gently, relaxed.
“That was for Nick, his gun jammed, and clicked. I forced him down, and took all these”
He said with a frown. He pulled up his shirt, “Two in the chest, and I fell to the dirt.
I woke up, and seen all this gauze, then I was sent home, I finished my cause.
I’m here now, with a purple heart, I kept my head, I never fell apart.
You were all in my mind, that kept me alive,
Now I’m here once again, with my family, the job’s at an end.”
And with that, the lights were turned off.
What is such a good story, will never be lost.
By: Robert A. Pacheco
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