#1) Papa's Footsteps

Papa, remember you promised?
You'd come home and with pride.
But Mama told me the news today.
She told me that you'd died.
But Papa don't you remember?
Promises are meant to be kept.
You swore to me you'd come home safe.
Defeat you'd never accept.
But Papa you know you told a lie.
You didn't make it back okay.
And I guess you passed it on to me.
For I'm to do the same.
I swore to Mama just like you.
I swore I'd come back to stay.
But as you know it's too complex.
She's now lost us both in the fray.


#2) Too Young

A young boy dawns the tribal paint
Of blood and grime conbined
He wears the heavy mantlepiece
In which his fellows find
The stolen youth and time-worn truth
Of a son already assigned
After fetching his diploma
To be sacrificed for mankind
Lay in ruin is his potential
Lay beside him is his gun
Lay still below a folded flag
Increasing one by one
Medals within a closed casket
A mother without a son
Of orders during battles
Of murders never undone
Never exists justified battle
Never exists understandable gore
Never exists a noteable reason
Yet the unaffected are fast to ignore
The crime of a soldier sent to war
But no matter how strong, no matter how old
When a soldier dies, no one knows what for