The Old Veteran's Friends

If you haven't done so yet, you may want to read  "The Old Veteran" , it's the prequel to this one.

32 Lines

The Old Veteran’s Friends


The old veteran had been honored by a small parade,
Though it made him tired, his memories did cascade
He thought of all his friends that had died in the war,
Many perished quickly, on those foreign shores

He thought of his friend Paul, killed by a sniper’s gun
Then Roger and Mark, trampled when their post was overrun
Tears filled his eyes as his memories ran rampant
Everyone of them dead, yet all so valiant

Richard had a wife, who quickly was a widow
But in dying he saved lives, became a hero
Doug was so young, he was barely a man
But he’d fought heroically, as only a warrior can

He recalled the kamikazis; they had no fear
The roar of flamethrowers, still heard by his ears
The screams of wounded, the silence of the dead
It was amazing that he’d managed to not lose his head

Many friends names were forgotten in time
But their faces remained, etched in his mind
He would never forget their valor, or sacrifice
Somehow he’d survived, was it a roll of the dice?

His tears turned to sobs as his memories ran riot
His sons hugged him close, ‘til finally he was quiet
He'd received the many honors one could earn in war
The Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and many more.

At the end of the day, an old friend came to see him
Others had made it too, Jerry was one of them
He had barely survived that battle so long ago
The old veteran save them all, from death’s final blow.

They sat together and talked of their friends long gone.
Of D-Day, the days following, from dusk til dawn.
At the end of the day, they prayed once more,
Thanked God for their lives, their spirits did soar.

Jim Dorrell
11/6/10