Marine's Eyes

I still carry the picture you gave me.
A fierce unsmiling handsome devil-may-care Marine
But your eyes were shining, full of pride,
Proud of your accomplishment, of obstacles overcome,
Of those hard earned Globe and Anchors.
I remember telling you how proud I was,
Of the man you had become, of the family you had joined.
You visited a year ago, you were being sent to Iraq.
It was then I started to carry this picture of you,
In hopes I could keep you safe,
Or maybe in hopes you would keep me strong.
It hurts so bad knowing I will never see those eyes again,
Never straighten out your uniform after hugging you tight,
Never reminisce about our childhoods, crying and laughing.
I know you believed in what you were doing over there,
And I will hold onto that as I take strength,
Strength from this photo, your eyes, your memory.