There Was A Young Man Poem by david lessard

there was a young man, from the green hills of vermont,
he unwillingly went west, his dad suffered a disorder;
he hated the desert, he misssed the hills and streams,
he was only a hundred miles or so, from the border.

the humongus state of mexico, was directly south,
the mormon state of utah, two hundred miles away;
he hoped the time would pass by quick,
when he could leave and find another place to play.

he was only 12, too young to go a-wandering,
but at the age of 16, he left for the big city;
where he would find a job, live alone at last,
but alas! no work for this young kid, what a pity!

he turned 17 and said to his friend bill,
let's blow this joint and become a g.i. joe;
we need our parents signature to join,
then we'll enlist on the 'buddy plan, ' you know.

that's how he escaped the heat, and the cactus,
the army was not what he thought it would be;
he thought he'd get training for a good job,
instead, he got stuck in the infantry!

he got back to the green hills, in old vermont,
a young buck, ready to face the hostile world;
he would triumph, and he would survive,
in the army, he became a man, and his life unfurled.

he went back to the desert, to see his folks,
each time he returned, it seemed to be much better;
but it was fifteen years that passed him by,
when he thought that it no longer was a fetter.

he settled finally in the west, on high desert,
where the heat was more moderate and the skies were clear;
his heart still harbored the green hills of youth,
but his spirit and soul were in the desert...here.