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Her Century |
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The little girl saw the cheers
Doe Boys coming home
None would have to go again
The soldiers and sailors won
The war to end all wars
She lost everything
Xmas
gifted hand knitted socks
Worked for almost nothing
Learned to survive
In the Great Depression
Her
husband worked WPA
Fitting pipes for the aqueduct
Carry water from the Great Red River
Watering the City of
Angels
Los Angeles Aqueduct
Listened close to the
radio
The President reports
The treacherous attack
On American soil
Pearl Harbor
Her husband unfit to
fight
Fitting pipes on the ships
Replacing ships lost
No matter what the cost
The fight goes on
Her
brother learned to fly
B-17 long and high
From London
to Berlin
Fire burns cities
Many die
In the
early morning light
She witnesses the flight
A lone
enemy plane
Mitsubishi Zero
A friend comes home
Her sons kiss her goodbye
Join the
capitalist-communist fight
The Peninsula of the Hahk
Surviving the bitter cold
Both sons come home
Peaceful change
And violent protest
As the melting pot
opens
Demanding change
Equality on paper
She
felt very lucky
Her son returned from the jungle
Missing one finger
Carrying metal chunks
She gave
enough
Domestic violence
Disenfranchised fighting
back
Tanks roll
Street of American Cities
Civility
"restored"
Violated the protection
Given to guests
Her eldest grandchild
Boards a helicopter
Raid never
finished.
She cried tears of pride
Her grandson
picked her up
At the airport Thanksgiving Day
Army
dress greens and Green Beret
Going south fighting drugs
Another fascist rises;
Using weapons of cruel death
Stealing land from neighbors
Grandson goes to "victory"
Mission not done
She sits awe struck
Watching the
flames
From the crash
As the second plane hits
World Trade Center
The Green Beret
Is called back
to duty
Domestic violence:
City burning, battle zone
Returns hard hearted
"Those bastards"
Grandson
almost cries
"Don't worry.
We'll rebuild, did before"
"Get the bad guys."
Great Grand-daughter's husband
Goes to finish what grandson didn't
Enemy unseen, damage
deadly
Street erupted spraying death
Flag draped
coffin.
Baby cues in her arms
Fifth generation
future hope
Tears of joy crawl on cheek
Bright eyes,
glowing cheeks
Innocence alive
Her birthday 100
"Ready to move on"
"Seen the good and bad"
"Seen the
rerun"
Time is done. |
By Mark I. Kirkmeyer
Copyright 2007
Listed
October 15, 2012 |
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About
Author...
Mark Kirkmeyer served as a Light Weapons/Medical Specialist in the U.S. Army (1983-88), the U.S. Army Reserve (1988-1992), and the California National Guard (1992-1995). He is Gulf War Veteran (1991) and served in Korea (1986-87).It is illegal to
use this poem without the author's permission.
~~ Send your comments and/or use permission request to
Mark I. Kirkmeyer ~~ |
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