Last Words
There he was lying in bed,a once giant of a man
Fading like the roses someone had left on his stand
The old veteran`s sharp eyes were slowly dimming
Not much longer for him to be judged among the living
The old soldier`s clock was slowly winding down
He glanced up just then seeing my concerned frown
This decorated veteran of Korea and Vietnam`s fray
Tonight he knew he was going to have his last say
'Listen here,'he said,'death just don`t scare me
Was with the First when we drove the enemy from Seoul
The battles they were hot and the weather it was cold
I been up Old Baldy and I fought on Pork Chop Hill,see
I been to the Khe San, and the white sands of Quang Tri
Where I`m going ain`t half as scary as where I`ve been
Not like running and duckin` bullets at Long Binh
Yes, and I`ve been to the terrible walled city of Hue
Let me tell you,there, we almost got blown away
I can honestly sayto you we were really put to the test
If the truth be known I would really welcome some rest
Listen,Friend,I don`t want nor do I need any of your tears
For I haven`t slept a night of peace in nearly forty years'
Then with that so said the old soldier closed his eyes in final sleep
And for all of his years of torment ,I hung my head and I did weep
İFaye Sizemore August102002
Home At Last
In that place where troubles cease
Amid the graceful cemeteries peace
An old soldier at last lay sleeping
With
an angel of marble at his grave
Standing as a sentry, silently weeping
And for a moment fleeting
It seemed in the stillness
I heard his voice, entreating
Filled with longing,a
seeking
Staying me in my retreating
'Will they remember me with honor
When the last trumpet is sounded
When the last moment is ended
Will it be
known that I served well
When time tolls that last bell?
When I came home, it was to disgrace
I served in Viet Nam with honor
I went through a hell time never erased
I
spent my days trying to justify that place
Now I wait for judgement day in this space'
And in my heart, I thought to him,
God will not let your brave deeds dim
You fought a battle with outcome grim
It did not happen here, but, when on that golden shore
I know a heroes welcome will go on forevermore
İFaye Sizemore Apr2002
Serenity Secured
A train whistle`s lonely call in the distance
In the dark a whip-poor-will`s insistance
Big wheels singing
way over on the highway
The bells calling the ending of another day
Last drops of rain sliding off the trees
These sounds are all soothing to me
They speak to me of the safety of
home
The canopy of night`s overhead like a dome
For those who fought and died for this security
I would like to say these grateful words from me
Without your sacrefices
we would not be free
The sounds of the night would not peaceful be
I can sit here in the dark with no fear you see
Because glorious soldiers you secured it for me
Words cannot tell
how grateful I am for your part
Just feel and know the true thanksgiving of my heart
İFaye Sizemore September2002
Haven
To escape from yesterday
Is to take shelter in today
The here and now can stand
Against the evil gone before
It
is the only thing that can
Though it can not close the door
My soul has been seared with terror
My heart has been
riddled with regret
This in mind make no mistake, no error
That was then,this is now ,do not forget
That the life
we live and loves of today
Are our shields of steel against yesterday
İFaye Sizemore Apr2002
Movin` on ...Movin` Out
Movin` on...
Morning time and
Dreams are gone
No more cries in the night
No more horrible bloody sight
No more guilt of being here
With all my loved ones
dear
John and Bill,did not make it home
I do know for me life must go on
I know there is no way to atone
Your
memories are mine alone
Old war memories do go away
Hiding their face in the light of day
Where they go in the day
I cannot say
I am so free now in the sunlight
Memory of war is only a spark
But I know that with the coming dark
Old
things will be in my sight
Blessed is he who has not my plight
For I will do battle again tonight
Movin` out...
Evening time and
Memories patrol about
İFaye Sizemore July2002
A
Soldiers
Question
Inside myself
Seeking why
Needing answers
Getting no reply
Why am I spared
So many are gone
Out of all taken
Why me alone
Not one the answer
Can expose
God is the only one
Who knows
İFaye Sizemore June 2002
Old Man Sitting Alone
The old man sat head bowed in the morning sun
I passed him every day when I took my daily run
He never looked
up as I went running past
Just kept his head bowed not a glance was cast
Fall became winter and winter spring
Still he sat silent as my footfalls would ring
The stone bench where he sat
was shadowed by trees
I knew he came there every morning to take his ease
I began to look for him every morning on my jaunt
Some days I`d wave but he always answered naught
Never looking
up or ever in any way acknowledging me
He`d sit there just as silent as the big shady tree
One time running late as past the bench I came
A young woman was there with the old man
I saw that she was sitting
close beside him
And tenderly she was holding his hand
After introducing myself and chatting there
I learned he was her father and now in her care
He had been wounded
in the war and was paralized
This was why he didn`t speak or wave now I realized
She would bring him in his wheelchair and place him here
For an hour she would let him sit in a place that was dear
Her
parents would sit on this bench and plan dreams so grand
Years ago before her father went away to fight in a foreign
land
She told me her mother would sit here alone
Dreaming of how it would be when he came home
Now he likes to sit here
on their bench on his own
Where his dear darling waited while he was gone
His wife and her mother has now gone on before
Here`s where she prayed for an end to the war
He liked to come and
sit on the bench here
Because he could feel his one true love near
A salute it`s going to be from today on
As I pass him each morning on the bench alone
I know he`s deserving of
more than just a wave
He`s one of the defenders of the home of the brave
İFaye Sizemore May2002
In the Dark...In The Light
Tender is the night,so they say
But
some much prefer the day
For the light keeps most demons away
Dark old memories are kept also at bay
In the dark some return to olden days
Trying to find the error of war`s ways
What`s done is gone and cannot be
changed
To have regret for what is past is not strange
These are the somewhat lucky ones
For with the dawning light relief comes
They can leave their demons in the darkness
Then
there are ones who live with total starkness
In this starkness are those unlucky souls
Who are night and day cast in their roles
Of remembering the war`s traumatic
sights
Those whose demons dare to come into the lights
İFaye Sizemore September232002
us-a response
Listen to the Nam vets when they speak.
Learn their lessons
well.
Do not forget, for when you trek
That Valley of The Shadow
Toward Heaven or Hell,
You will learn they were
not alone…
In the Valley of the Shadow,
Their names are written in blood upon each stone.
No matter which way
you are headed
Learn their names and lessons well
Whether it be to the gates of Heaven… Or Hell
When you are
greeted at the Gate,
Then it will be too late,
Because when you are clasped to a breast,
You will see that both God
and the Devil,
Have a Viet Nam combat ribbon…
Pinned to their chest.
İFaye Sizemore
December 30, 2001 |
Taps
Against a last sunset sky
When evening time is nigh
The Eternal Bugler stands
His bugle ready in his hands
The sign from above awaiting
To sound taps for our lives abating
For when the bugle goes to lip
It sounds for life`s final trip
There is a song he plays heard upon the air
For a few moments then
is no longer there
İFaye Sizemore May2002
The Last Bell
If the last general
gives the last order
As we forsake
the last border
If the last mother
gives
the last son
Is that when war
will be done
If out the last patrol
has been sent
And the very last round
has been spent
The air with dying
screams
is no longer rent
Will it be then that
we shall repent
If the last tank
roars to a stop
If the last plane
falls from the air
And the very last bomb
does
drop
Will there be anyone
left to care
When the last battle
is fought
And the last soldier
has fallen
All the saints being
gone
to Heaven
And with the evil ones
staying in Hell
Whom shall it be
that tolls
the last bell...
İFaye Sizemore July282002
Old Glory In The Park
I saw him sittin there as I passed by
Something about him caught my eye
You could tell just an old soldier waitin`
Relaxed sittin alone on a stone bench
Just content watchin the flag wavin`
Must be his cronies are all dead and
gone
Today he spends most of his time alone
Watchin` old glory wave from the pole in the park
He spends most of his
time there until dark
He remembers a time of glory gone on
When he was young and full of brawn
`forty four, he was
a young man in that year
You could tell nothing still did he fear
Old glory`s waving softly from the
flag pole
But he`s also sittin` on the park bench over there
He is America`s glory ,this glorious knight of old
İFaye Sizemore Apr2002
Because
Why do I write words of war
Why write of things best forgotten
Why can`t I close the door
I am guilty of being out of harms way
I was safe while your lives
Were in danger each day
There`s something the living can`t do
And that`s lie with each of the dying
I trying to right a wrong
Only
to end up crying
All I can do is pray
And to each soldier say
Thank you and smile
Please, let me shake your hand awhile
İFaye Sizemore Mar2002
Reminder
Memory is a noise in the night
It can even be a smell
Or a certain shade of the light
It can be a piece of hell
Or a heavenly delight
Some memories`d be better gone
coming when we are alone
Dwelling on the ones with pain
should never
be our aim
Sometimes the dark is kind
and lets me rest my mind
Remembering old friends left behind
how their dear faces
do shine
Other times I find it is just not so
A click in the dark causes fears to grow
A footstep sound in the dark
sometimes
causes fear to my heart
The wind whistles by
Thunder rumbles nigh
Lightening in the night sky
Silver light through misty clouds
Not
easier knowing why
the terror still abounds
with the semblance of war sounds
A quaking deep in my soul
awakening memories of old
Thrust them away
Just go begin
a new day
Much easier said then done
So, forgive me,my friend
Today will not be the one
İFaye Sizemore 2002
His Walk In The War
I`m home now,Mamma
I`ll never leave anymore
I wasn`t gone too long
Just took a walk in the war
I can`t say it wasn`t so bad
And to be home I am so glad
I only wish I had walked through the door
But I haven`t
walked ,not since the war
A burden I don`t want to be
Are you crying,I wish I could see
They said blind is better than dead
But Mamma
I may go out of my head
There`ll be no more walks with Sue next door
No more, because I took a walk in the war
This blind soldier seated
in a wheel chair
Would be more than a young girl could bare
Mama,I wish I could see, are you crying there
Mama,dry your tears,don`t cry anymore
It`s over, I`ve done my American
chore
I am home ,I`ve done my walk in the war
İFaye Sizemore September72002
Fire Rain
Death and fire
Nothing but ... fire and death
Licking reaching, tongues of flames
The wildfire rages out of
control
Acres behind it and homes in it`s path
Choking smoke filling the air
Nothing alive can stay here
Firechoppers
overhead carrying
Water to dump on the fire
A firefighter on the ground
Pauses when he hears the sound
And remembers
another time
Another place, another race with death
A time when the choppers spewed bullets
Instead of fire stopping
water
And Puff The Magic Dragon
Breathing napalm made his rounds
Bringing fire and death
Nothing but... fire
and death
İFaye Sizemore July72002
Old Fellas`
The hills of home stand high
To protect them I was ready to die
When I grew up a soldier I became
That is how
and why I became lame
In a battle I was injured long ago
Thus did begin my tale of woe
At the Soldiers Home it`s
been said
Sometimes I have nightmares in my bed
I don`t remember any dreams
It`s really for the best it seems
What
I remember is other`s screams
I have heard those of ol`man Joe
He`s here , he has no where else to go
And then there`s
my friend Bill
If he can keep us awake he will
On crutches Johnny can go
Sometimes He thinks I am slow
We go down
to the town sguare
Just to get us some morning air
We sit together so we won`t be alone
And admire the view of the
hills of home
İFaye Sizemore June 2002
A Soldier`s Old Ghosts
Through the drifting
Mists of time
Quietly come
These ghosts of thine
Come to censure
Come to plead
Come to cause
Memory to bleed
Suddenly
They are there
Returning
Because you care
Out of the memories
Of thirty odd years
The ghosts still walk
Carrying your tears
The uncaring
Have a wall
They are not
Visited at all
If I could change
the acts of time
Banish your ghosts
With this rhyme
There would not
Have been a war
To make
Your heart so sore
All your memories
would be happy inside
For if there was no war
No one would have died
There would be no ghosts
To worry caring hosts
İFaye Sizemore 2002
Intruder
There is an intruder who whispers in my ear
Softly... sadly...this is what I hear...
'Let me walk in your memory
Just
let me stay awhile
....For yours are the ones
Which can made me smile
You remember the good times
...... I can`t
forget the bad
Your memories make me glad
...... Mine only make me sad
Let me rest awhile in your dreams...
Escape
my nightmares... erase my screams'
I said "come in, my friend"
I find my peace now at an end
For now with his screams...
My
own... I blend...
İFaye Sizemore Apr2002
Intruder ll
I must flee
Places I have never been
Are haunting me
I should flee
I know not where
For the pain I never
felt
I cannot bear
I will not flee
Strange emotions beckon
I have spent eternity
In this one second
I can
not flee
Did you know how
Painful it would be
Dearest God above
When you created
Compassion and love
İFaye Sizemore Apr2002
<
Guards At The Bridge
I dreamed I was dead, my life done
People were marching, one by one
Marching to a wide river with a long bridge
I could hear celebrating just over the ridge
This wasn`t like the story I was told
The bridge was huge and made of gold
At the bridge armed soldier guards stood
I started to pass across as I thought I should
When one of the soldiers caught my eye
I had known him and I had seen him die
Bill,old buddy'I said,' it`s good to see you here'
He smiled at me and I saw the trickle of a tear
'Thanks,'he said 'for keeping me within your heart'
He handed me his rifle and started to depart
'Wait,Bill,I want to go on across beside you
Don`t leave me here, I don`t know what to do'
He smiled,'these are the last steps of the last mile
As I did,and we all, you must stand guard here awhile
Be ever
faithful, be ever watchful, be ever true
Until across comes a brother who has remembered you'
İFaye Sizemore August282002
Gratitude
Brave soldiers,no mistake
I stand in the peace of your wake
Your service for us was great
You fought on even
though you did tire
Though your brothers were being heaped
in battle upon the funeral pyre
There were those that fought with no care
Where they went only the bravest would dare
Your steps though tired
did not falter
All I can offer are these words of thanks
Just a sacrifice of grateful thoughts
Placed here upon this
paper altar
İFaye Sizemore September2002
An Offering of Understanding
I am honored to listen when veterans speak
Your conversations
are not meant for the meek
You should be heard as long as you will talk
You have fought the fight
and walked the walk
I know a soldier’s memories sometimes pain
To make you uncomfortable
is not my aim
I know things happened in the war
That even today shakes your very core
When your memories makes your heart sore
Don’t hide your feelings
behind a locked door
For not having the key
How it really hurts me
Not knowing just what to say
When your ghosts come your way
When you sometimes hurt the way you do
I know you need to give grief
its due
I don’t know how you feel
I only know your hurt is real
I can only imagine, it’s all I can do
My friend you know it is
true
Not knowing if it’s close to being real
For I am not you and I
was not there
But I can tell you with truth
I really care
And if I may, your ghosts,
I will share
İFaye Sizemore
July 2002 |
Journey
Thirty three years
Is a long time
For a heart
on sorrow to dine
Movin` on
Tears of yesteryears
Can only cloud
the dreams of today
Movin`on...
Come with me
Take my hand
and take a stand
Movin` on
Do not waste today
lost in yesterday
Tomorrow is the way
Movin` on
Our brothers have gone
We must catch up
Or be left here alone
Movin`on
The sun is bright
Come along
Follow the light
Movin`on
Yesterday was dark
Let memories linger
in the heart
Movin` on
Our cause was just
Our war is over
Come with us
Movin`on
İFaye Sizemore August192002
What The Wind Knows
A cold wind seeks it`s
lonely path
down the city`s
concrete corridors
and like a lover coming home
creeping
snuggles up to a man who sinks farther down
against the alley wall in his ragged vest and shivers
The chilly evening
is still young
but there is not much to
stay awake for
when you are a street bum
The last
drop is gone from the bottle
Now sleep
is the only defense he has
against the ever recuring scenes
Memories of combat,another far away fight for life
Too much,too much, not far enough down the line
He still hears the
screams, ,still sees the dying
and the ones begging for death,dear Lord,dear Lord
VA would take him in, but no, he`s not going through that again
He could go down to the corner and tell another Vietnam story
If
his tale is interesting enough he can get a swig on their bottle
just enough to loosen his tongue some more
But lately the
dreams of the things he remembers
are starting to last longer and
are getting stronger
so he just hunkers down and looses himself in the wind`s caress
İ Faye Sizemore December82002
*Manning McWhorter
He is wrinkled and his
hair is white as snow
Eighty plus years he has seen come and go
A true southern gentleman,not the kind for show
Always shakes your hand like he`ll never let go
He likes to talk and has alot to say
Talk goes from life to funerals gone before
And through the forties and the big war
He
said 'now I`m headed toward December
And when the day does come I do die
I hope my obituary does remember
To include I was awarded a Bronze Star
I`d like it known when I`ve gone on
that I was proud of what we done
away across the ocean over there
World War Two is long ,long gone
It was just in our orders there to roam
though lots of us never did come home'
He straightens his shoulders
as remembering with a sigh
all those who had said goodbyes
and I glimpse in his sharp clear eyes
just like a glitter of precious gold,
the steel still in this old warrior`s soul
İFaye Sizemore December272002
*Manning Mcwhorter is still with us, and
in his own words 'all a vet wants after all,
is to be remembered'
