P O E M S

A SIBLING'S CRY
Cindi Atwood (sister of Michael May)

I'D NEVER DREAMED TWENTY SOME YEARS AGO
THE PAIN I FELT WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW.
MY BROTHER WAS MY HERO, MY GUARDIAN, MY FRIEND:
THE ELDEST OF FOUR, HE WENT TO WAR,
FOR HIS COUNTRY TO DEFEND.

THE GREEN BERETS WAS HIS DREAM
MACVSOG,5TH SPECIAL FORCES, RECON TEAM.
HE VOLUNTEERED FOR A TEAM ONCE MORE,
HOPING HE WOULD GET A CHANCE TO EXPLORE.
EAGER AND WILLING TO GIVE HIS BEST,
KNOWING THE DANGERS, WOULD BE A LIFE'S TEST,

THEY LEFT EARLY THAT EVENING FOR THEIR DESTINATION
HE LOST HIS LIFE INTO "AN EVE OF DESTRUCTION"
NOW WE ALL SUFFER FROM THIS WAR
VETERANS, MOTHERS, FATHERS, AND SIBLINGS MOURN.

YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE WAIT FOR MORE NEWS,
,CLASSIFIED, COVERED UP, AND LIED TO ...
NIGHTMARES AND FLASHBACKS COME LIKE RAINSHOWERS,
TO THOSE VETERANS WHO SUFFER INTO THE LATE HOURS

I'LL SPEND MOST OF MY TIME EDUCATING THOSE WHO ARE SO BLIND
ABOUT A BUREAUCRACY WHO LEFT OUR BROTHERS' BEHIND
MY TEARS ARE DRY FROM HATRED AND MISTRUST
MY HEART CRIES OUT FOR ALL OF US

MY COUNTRY IS NO LONGER SWEET LIBERTY,
WHEN THE HONORS ALL GO TO THE CELEBRITIES
THE GUILT AND SHAME THE VETERAN CARRIES INSIDE,
WAS ONCE HEROIC AND BRAVE WITH PRIDE
I KNOW I WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT FREEDOM IS LIKE
IT ISN'T GROWING UP AND BEING ON YOUR OWN
AVOIDING THE DRAFT, OR PLEADING FOR AMNESTY.

YOU ONLY SEE IT BY LISTENING AND TALKING TO THE VETERAN
AND AS THEIR EYES BEGIN TO TEAR, FROM THE MEMORIES THEY'VE SHOWN
FREEDOM BELONGS TO THE FIGHTING MEN, THE TRUE AMERICAN.

I LOST MY BROTHER TO A WAR
THAT MAKES ME BITTER STILL
BUT IF, AND WHEN HE COMES HOME
THAN MY HEART WILL BE HEALED

FOR NOW THE MEMORIES I HOLD DEAR,
WILL COMFORT ME IN MY DREAMS.... I FEAR
,AND, IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE
I PRAY SOMEONE ELSE THIS JOB TO TAKE