A Boy...A Man...A Soldier Poem by Philip Lore

Mommy....Daddy,
A young soldier screams out in pain,
Wounded and dying,
Unbearable pain.

He squeezes his eyes,
Filled with remorse,
Remembers his birtdays,
A present....a horse.

How he would ride him...
A smile on his face,
Never again,
Won't make it out of this place.

Vietnam was Hell,
It took his young life,
No present, No future,
No kiss with a wife.

Machine gun fire splinters the ground,
Remembering the fun,
On the merry-go-round.

Shrapnel from rockets,
Hot shards fly through the air,
Peanuts and popcorn,
Every year at the fair.

He whispers a prayer,
To God up above,
Tell Mommy and Daddy,
I send them my love.

His closes his eyes,
Takes a deep breath,
Alone in the jungle,
He suffers his death.