I was inspired to write this poem, by the ongoing war in Iraq. A war in which now my oldest son is serving in. He is in The United States Army.

Angels And Bullets

I saw you crouching there, fighting
for your life.
You gave it all that you had and fought
with courage amid all the struggle and the
strife.
When I looked back around, I saw you
laying there on your back, fighting now
for your every breath.
An enemy's bullet held your name, and
now near was death.

I knelt beside you and held your trembling
hand, I knew that's all that I could do.
For I could see the damage, and knew that
fatal was your wound.
You took death like such a man, though you
were just a boy.
You whispered words of encouragement to
me in your dying voice.

Then you grew weak, I could see it in your
weakened eyes.
They turned and focused above us on the
skies.
You lay there on the dirt which was your
dying bed.
You smiled and faintly said that angels were
hovering above your head.

I saw your other hand close like you were
grasping another's hand.
Then with a shallow breath you were gone,
taking one more notch from our band.
I knew those angels, through God's own
open loving arms, had led you to the light.
Go with God, my dear young friend, go to
peace where never again shall you fight.

You'll travel forever in my heart.
Though from earth you have gone, I promise
you and I shall never part.
Here I am years gone by and still feel the
scars.
For so long I hid in a bottle and lived in bars.
Then I realized the battle you have won.
Your life has just now begun.

In your life and in your death, you showed me
things I failed to see for far too long.
Until years after you had gone.
I don't have to hang or worry my head.
About the things we did or the things I wish I'd
said.
Yes you will travel forever in my heart.
Though from earth you have gone, I promise
you and I shall never part.

That sad day back in ninety-three, will live on
for sure in my heart and my soul.
But never again will I let it turn me cold.
That day you laid there breathing your last breath.
And I knelt beside you, half scared to death.
I still hear the words, your dying voice said.
The day that angels and bullets, hovered just
above our heads.

J. Lewis Dean