My brother Bob, Korean War vet ; specialized in VFW Widow’s Support in Baltimore Md. until the day he died at 77. This poem ‘Delivered’ is my attempt to write something inspirational that’s representative of some events and feelings suffered in the trials of so many war widows .

Delivered

Aunt Em , the door glass was broken; the rains came in,
You can see on the floor where footprints have been,

Puddles on the floor where your old car is parked ,
But I couldn’t see much it was too wet and dark,

My flashlight showed, an old Caddy in there,
Things worth a bundle , They’re really that rare ,

Looks like a 49 two door model blue,
History for me , but memories for you,

You could sure sell it, and get a new car,
I know the Buses, don’t come out this far,

I can’t sell it Jimmy, it means too much to me,
Our honeymoon car, we eloped you see,

She wiped away tears as she turned to say,
Jimmy my Raymond left it just that way,

He was a Marine, in the Korean War zone ,
Never to come home, he left me alone,

Listed him as missing, leaving kids and a wife,
That’s all that’s left, of our wonderful life,

I was told of a letter, he left for me,
But it was top secret , that I couldn’t see,

So many years, have now gone and past,
I remember Captain Dyer, that came here at last,

He was so caring, and ever so kind,
Assuring me someday, that letter he’d find,

Knowing my heartbreak, he promised me true ,
Someday Miss Em, I’ll bring it to you,

Buried in military, dogma you see,
It’ll take some time, before they turn it free,

Sadly though Jimmy, Captain Dyer was killed ,
His promises to me, could never be fulfilled,

Many years later ; I saw Aunt Em again,
Just bright and cheerful like she’d always been,

Jimmy, remember, the last time you were here,
I heard glass breaking , and I called you in fear,

The handy man came after I made a call,
He fixed that window in no time at all,

He sure was amazed at that old car of mine,
He’d never seen one that looked so fine,

Everything was dusty but it surely was neat ,
He asked about a wet spot there on the back seat,

Scared me to think someone might have been there,
Wasn’t nothing worth stealing , not even a spare,

I had to go looking, this just wasn’t right,
I almost fainted when I saw the sight,

It wasn’t a wet spot, it was a big black folder,
With USMC , couldn’t be any bolder,

Deliver to Mrs Monday address here as seen,
With deepest regrets , we honor your Marine,

Corporal Raymond Monday MIA, presumed to be deceased,
Please find inside his letter to you that finally was released,

Not in type but hand written, It was an official Directive though,
Signed in gold by Captain Robert Dyer almost ten years ago!
Foot Note:
The package is a mystery, maybe lost it in the mail,
To be recently discovered and delivered without fail,

Too large to fit the mail box, the package was a pain,
Tossed into that old car to keep it outta the rain,

Would this solve the mystery , one would think it did,
But in Captain Dyer’s Directive something else was hid,

Discovered by Mrs Monday and overlooked inside,
The date he signed that order was two years after he died !

© 2021 Tom Leftwich