Just turned eighteen, a man at last,
Pranks of adolescence, now in the past.
Letter from Uncle Sam…Jack must come now,
Homeland needs Jack; he knows why and how.
Through basic training harassment is rife,
Told “It is always worse…in times of strife”.
Earns no stripe; suffers abuse--a trusted mentor!
“It’s worse over there; your country is at war!”
He didn’t enlist…lottery roll went bad,
Fears he will lose…the life he barely had.
Was taught “Killing will lead one to Hell”,
Suffering not only physical, spiritual as well.
Speaking of which, he is there…at this moment,
Feels terrible pain…and mental torment.
Kids cut down like tall Kentucky Blue Grass,
Learned something of this…in infantry class.
Feels a burning sensation—it’s his right thigh!
Red blood causes fear…makes the young man cry.
Grenade explodes…scatters many in panic,
Jack lay still, although he is frantic.
Left his girl in the States, then went to War,
“Sure” he thought “I’ll see her no more.”
Looks back on his recent one year sojourn in Spain,
‘Just learned the Castilian language--a lesson in vain!?’
“Fear not, young man, as you will soon see,
Wars in South America--so jump with glee!”
Nicaragua, Guatemala…and Panama too,
Cauldron was boiling…a real hullabaloo.
His strawberry blonde…just could not wait,
Dropped acid, smoked pot, with a different classmate.
Heart ripped apart; so too his leg,
Recalls that blood…poured like from a keg.
Jack’s return from Nam…remembers it well,
Compatriots treated him rotten as Hell.
What could he expect from a newly weakened nation?
“Old ‘War to End All Wars’”…was not at all Asian.
Was it all worth it…for his country to lose?
Legs like Jack’s gone…how much blood did ooze?
Again at War; Jack’s grandson roams in Afghanistan,
High in the mountains…looks for a tall bearded man.
Jack prays for Johnny, but who prays anymore?
High tech battles and barbarians--modern war!
No need for God, no spiritual bent,
Only soldiers who fight…beg and repent.
Jack writes to Johnny and Johnny to Jack,
Internet takes care…of all of that.
Grandson told “Stay healthy, take no risky chances.”
Johnny quickly matures…nineteenth birthday advances.
From grandpa’…to a cocky young soldier,
Jack advises and prays…Johnny will “get no bolder”.
Jack walks with a cane and a leg made of plastic,
But for modern medicine…wheelchair or a spastic.
Johnny speaks Urdu; so a secret was kept,
Slipped into Pakistan while Osama bin Laden slept.
Plan backfired…young soldier got caught,
Land mine exploded; Johnny’s left leg left naught.
Kid was lucky…buddies came to save him,
Now he weighs less…yet not really so slim.
Grandfather and the kid…both with the same plagues,
Shoulder to shoulder: two separate bodies…two mutual legs.
Will this ever stop…is Iran next on the list?
It seems that some just have to insist!
These Wars are awful…power accompanies terror,
If only the world’s leaders would see their great error.
Only one way…for all of this to end,
Christians, Jews, Muslims—All!...an ear must lend.
If the horror of these Wars will ever cease,
“O God of Us All… there must be peace.”
Pranks of adolescence, now in the past.
Letter from Uncle Sam…Jack must come now,
Homeland needs Jack; he knows why and how.
Through basic training harassment is rife,
Told “It is always worse…in times of strife”.
Earns no stripe; suffers abuse--a trusted mentor!
“It’s worse over there; your country is at war!”
He didn’t enlist…lottery roll went bad,
Fears he will lose…the life he barely had.
Was taught “Killing will lead one to Hell”,
Suffering not only physical, spiritual as well.
Speaking of which, he is there…at this moment,
Feels terrible pain…and mental torment.
Kids cut down like tall Kentucky Blue Grass,
Learned something of this…in infantry class.
Feels a burning sensation—it’s his right thigh!
Red blood causes fear…makes the young man cry.
Grenade explodes…scatters many in panic,
Jack lay still, although he is frantic.
Left his girl in the States, then went to War,
“Sure” he thought “I’ll see her no more.”
Looks back on his recent one year sojourn in Spain,
‘Just learned the Castilian language--a lesson in vain!?’
“Fear not, young man, as you will soon see,
Wars in South America--so jump with glee!”
Nicaragua, Guatemala…and Panama too,
Cauldron was boiling…a real hullabaloo.
His strawberry blonde…just could not wait,
Dropped acid, smoked pot, with a different classmate.
Heart ripped apart; so too his leg,
Recalls that blood…poured like from a keg.
Jack’s return from Nam…remembers it well,
Compatriots treated him rotten as Hell.
What could he expect from a newly weakened nation?
“Old ‘War to End All Wars’”…was not at all Asian.
Was it all worth it…for his country to lose?
Legs like Jack’s gone…how much blood did ooze?
Again at War; Jack’s grandson roams in Afghanistan,
High in the mountains…looks for a tall bearded man.
Jack prays for Johnny, but who prays anymore?
High tech battles and barbarians--modern war!
No need for God, no spiritual bent,
Only soldiers who fight…beg and repent.
Jack writes to Johnny and Johnny to Jack,
Internet takes care…of all of that.
Grandson told “Stay healthy, take no risky chances.”
Johnny quickly matures…nineteenth birthday advances.
From grandpa’…to a cocky young soldier,
Jack advises and prays…Johnny will “get no bolder”.
Jack walks with a cane and a leg made of plastic,
But for modern medicine…wheelchair or a spastic.
Johnny speaks Urdu; so a secret was kept,
Slipped into Pakistan while Osama bin Laden slept.
Plan backfired…young soldier got caught,
Land mine exploded; Johnny’s left leg left naught.
Kid was lucky…buddies came to save him,
Now he weighs less…yet not really so slim.
Grandfather and the kid…both with the same plagues,
Shoulder to shoulder: two separate bodies…two mutual legs.
Will this ever stop…is Iran next on the list?
It seems that some just have to insist!
These Wars are awful…power accompanies terror,
If only the world’s leaders would see their great error.
Only one way…for all of this to end,
Christians, Jews, Muslims—All!...an ear must lend.
If the horror of these Wars will ever cease,
“O God of Us All… there must be peace.”
