Johnny Poem by BRUCE MARTONE

MY NAME IS JOHNNY I LIVE IN BROOKLYN
WITH MY YOUNGER BROTHER RONNY
I WAS THE OLDEST ONE JUST TURNING TWENTY ONE
WHILE MY BROTHER WAS YOUNGER TURNING EIGHTEEN
I WAS THE ONE THAT WENT OUT ALWAYS HAVING FUN
WHILE MY BROTHER RONNY WAS TALL BUT LEAN
NOW MY FATHER WORKED AT THE LOADING DOCK
HE WAS A FOREMAN WHERE HE WORK ALL THE TIME
AND SOMETIMES AROUND THE CLOCK
NOW MY MOTHER STAY HOME
KEEPING THE HOUSE CLEAN
AND THAT WAS IN THE EARLY SIXTY'S
WHEN MEN AND WOMEN WORK ON MACHINES
THERE WAS NO COMPUTERS OR CELL PHONES,
NOW WHEN MY FATHER CAME HOME
WE ALL SAT AROUND THE TABLE FOR DINNER
WATCHING THE WAR ON TV
MY DADDY SAYING WITH GONNA BE WINNERS,
NOW FOR RONNY AND ME
WE BOTH HAD LOW NUMBERS IN THE ONE HUNDREDS
WHILE ARE NEIGHBORED BILLY WAS IN THE HIGH HUNDREDS,
NOW EVERY NIGHT WE WOULD LISTEN FOR ARE NUMBER
AND MY DADDY KNEW WE WERE GOING AND PROUD ABOUT IT
CAUSE HE FOUGHT THE FRONT LINES IN THE KOREAN WAR,
NOW ON THAT NEXT NIGHT WE WERE BOTH CALL FOR DUTY
MY FATHER WAS ON CLOUD NINE AND MY MOTHER CRY ALL THE TIME,
NOW MY BROTHER AND I PACK PROMISING ARE MOTHER
WE WILL COME BACK I WATCH OVER MY LITTLE BROTHER
AND OFF WE WENT,
NOW WE HOP ON THE BUS TO ARE FLIGHT
PASSING ARE PHYSICALS AND WITH LITTLE TRAINING
OFF WE WENT TO THE KILLING FIELDS
NOW A LOT OF SOLDIERS DIE
AND A LOT MORE GOT CAUGHT
WHILE ME AND RONNY CLIMB THE HILL WHERE NO MAN HAS LIVE
LOOKING OUT FOR THE PREY AND READY TO KILL THEM
WHEN THEY GOT IN ARE WAY
NOW THIS WENT ON FOR FIVES YEARS
TILL THAT ONE DAY SITTING IN ARE FOX HOLE
I READ THE LETTER THEY GAVE ME AND RONNY AND I TEAR
SAYING WE WERE COMING HOME WRITING ARE MOM TO SAY
NOW ON THAT SAME NIGHT WE WERE SLEEPING WITH ONE EYE
OPEN UNTIL BOTH CLOSE AND THE BOMBS HIT
BULLET FLYING EVERYWHERE
THE LIEUTENANT YELLING RETREAT MOVE ON
SO I GOT UP AND RAN RONNY DID NOT
I WENT BACK THE LIEUTENANT YELL LEAVE HIM HE GONE
I YELL NO THE LIEUTENANT YELL SOLDIER MOVE ON
SO I GOT IN THE CHOPPER AND WE LEFT
NOW I SIT IN THE CORNER AND CRY WRITING TO MY MOTHER
VERY SORRY BUT RONNY DIE IN CROSS FIRE
SORRY I DIDN'T KEEP A BETTER EYE ON MY BROTHER MOM
LOVE YOU JOHNNY PS I'M COMING HOME
NOW MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER MET ME AT THE BASE
AND MY FATHER HUG ME AND SHOOK MY HAND
SAYING WELCOME HOME SON
NOW I WENT TO KISS MY MOTHER HELLO
HOPING SHE'D WOULD UNDERSTAND
BUT SHE TURN HER FACE AWAY AND HEADING TO THE CAR
NOW THAT WENT ON FOR A COUPLES OF YEARS
TILL I GOT TIRED OF SEEING MY MOTHERS TEARS
SO I PACK MY BAGS HEADED DOWN THE STAIRS
SHOOK MY FATHER HAND
WHILE MY MOTHER WALK ME TO THE DOOR OPEN IT
I WALK OUT AND BEFORE I COULD TURN AROUND
TO SAY GOODBYE
SHE CLOSES THE DOOR AND OFF I WENT AWAY FOR GOOD