The Story Of My Hero

He could have vanished in the jungles of freedom.
Instead he chose to fight for other people's ambitions.
He had the choice to explore the land in Australia,
Tour the Statue of Liberty, and perhaps enjoy the
Crystal and cold cascades of the Niagara.

He was brave and only eighteen.
His hair was as dark as the night
And his eyes as brown as coffee:
Yes, as coffee that grows on the same crispy mountains
That embraced him during his last moment where
He gave his own freedom so others could have a
Taste of what being free means in a land of
Oppression where communism was such
Interrogation and torture, torturing those
Who did not want to share Stalin's distorted ideas
Of living in dreamland.

His destiny was always marked
By tragedy and no one knew why
such a precious child had to live like that.

His combat comrades said to us that
He fought like a man with so much heart.
He could have retrieved himself from the line of fire.
Instead he furiously defended his fellow soldiers.
He stepped in the line of fire and fought all the
Way until the enemy's fight took his life.

Amidst his mother's desperate sorrow,
She could not even identify her own offspring,
It was the others who could see his big heart
And said that was Roger, the one who fights
So others can dream, live and enjoy life.

I miss you, my dear cousin.
Wherever you are, I want to tell you that
You will always be in my heart.
I remember when you wanted to catch
The biggest star for me and my mom.

You are my hero, and I love you so much.
Thanks for your sacrifice, I honor you with all my life.

* Laura Martinez *
©2006

The Story of My Hero was also published online in the January 2006 issue of Autumn Leaves.