In Memory for one of ours!

                          In memory of our Northshore boy

                                                by

                                      Mark Lichterman

With his Mama close behind,

I remember when the cute,

roly-poly boy of, oh, maybe four

came tooling up the Northshore

green-belt peddling his red and yellow

big-wheel tricycle.

“Hey,” I may have said, “who are you?”

Came the reply from the cute,

roly-poly boy: “A.J. I’m A.J.”

Never questioning the name,

A.J. simply remained, “A.J.”

Later then,

I remember when the cute,

still roly-poly boy of, oh, maybe nine

came tooling up the Northshore

greenbelt balanced atop a skate-board.

Hi’ya, A.J.!” I may have called.

Yes, I so remember the roly-poly little boy,

the cute, roly-poly little boy that always had a smile.

The youngest of three,

manners taught by Mama,

To be a gentleman taught by Mama.

Later then,

“Hello, sir,” this grown up

no longer roly-poly

boy said to me.

Thinking a brother,

Steven?” I asked

“Ryan?” I Questioned.

Then came the smile

from this no longer roly-poly

little boy,

then came the smile of 

this handsome young man

“No, sir, I’m A.J.”

A.J.

A.J.

Our tears fall for you A.J.

Our tears fall for those you knew

and those you loved.

for those you knew certainly

loved you in return.

So sad to lose you, A.J.

so sad.

In Memory:

U.S. Army Spc. Andrew Jordan (A.J.) Castro

U.S. Army Soc. Andrew Jordon Castro 20,

was killed on Saturday,  August 28, 2010

in Afghanistan