MEMORIES OF MY BROTHER RON SHALL NEVER LEAVE

I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND CLIMBING TREES

I PICTURE THE TIME WE WOULD PLAY TOGETHER

AND SEE THE DAYS WE USED TO SWIM WITH EACH OTHER

I SEE THE LAKE WHERE I TAUGHT HIM HOW TO SWIM

RON WOULD SAY, “HEY MIKE” THEN DIVE OFF THAT BARREL OF TIN

I SEE THOSE CAMPS HE AND I WOULD MAKE IN THE WOODS

SEEMS AS THOUGH I ALWAYS PICTURE HIM LIVELY AND FULL OF GOOD

WE EACH HAD A NICK NAME, I CALL HIM “DESSERT EYE”

IT WAS BECAUSE HE’D ALWAYS SQUINT AND LOOK AS IF TO CRY

WE’D CAMP OUT AND ROAM THOSE OLD WOODS AT NIGHT

WE TAUGHT OURSELVES TO SEE WITHOUT A GUIDING LIGHT

IN THOSE WOODS WE PLAYED, WE’D SEARCH FOR EVERY BIRDS NEST

THEN WATCH THE EGGS EACH DAY AND AWAIT THE TIME FOR THEIR TEST

WE’D WANT TO RAISE IT, FEED, THEN PET IT IF IT SEEMED TO CRY

OH HOW SAD IT MADE US WHEN WE DUG THE HOLE FOR SOME HAD DIED

SOON WE GREW OLDER AND EACH HAD FOUND OUR OWN LITTLE JOBS

I WORKED WITH HARDWARE AND HE WORKED WITH GROCERIES AND CORN COBS

WE WORKED IN THE LOCAL STORES IN OUR HOME TOWN

NOT MAKING MUCH BUT WE WERE HAPPY NOT LOAFING AROUND

RON AND I LOVED ONE THING BUT FROM MOM WE KNEW IT HAD TO BE HIDDEN

WE BOTH LOVED GUNS BUT TO OUR MOM IT WAS SOMETHING FORBIDDEN

MOM USED TO SAY SHE NEVER WANTED A GUN IN THE HOUSE

SHE HATED THEM LIKE MOST WOMEN HATE A LIVE MOUSE

NEVER HAD SHE CONSENTED TO US REALLY HAVING ONE

BUT WHEN SHE KNEW WE HAD ONE SHE SAID “DO BE CAREFUL SON”

WE KNEW THE DANGERS OF HUNTING WITH A LOADED GUN

AND SURELY NEVER DID TAKE CHANCES AND IT MADE IT LOTS OF FUN

COULD IT BE MY MOTHER KNEW SOMETHING IN HER MIND AND HEART

IT WAS THOUGH SHE COULD FORESEE A CERTAIN LITTLE PART

NOW WE GREW A LITTLE OLDER AND THE TIME HAD REALLY COME

UNCLE SAM WAS NOW TEACHING US HOW TO HANDLE A GUN

I WAS THE FIRST TO JOIN AND I CAME AS A UNITED STATES MARINE

LEARNED THE WEAPONS THEN TRAINED AS A TEAM

LATER MY OLDER BROTHER LOU FOLLOWED ME INTO THE CORP

HE ALSO LEARNED AND TRAINED AS I DID BEFORE

WE BOTH ARE VETERANS AND SEEN THE HELL CALLED VIET NAM

AND NEEDLESS TO SAY WE DONE OUR PART FOR UNCLE SAM

I’LL NEVER FORGET THOSE TIMES WHEN I CAME HOME ON THOSE PLANES

THE JOY IN MY FAMILY’S EYES WAS ALMOST AS IF THEY WERE INSANE

THEN MY BROTHER LOU ARRIVED AFTER I HAD LEFT AGAIN

THE AIRPORT MY FAMILY SAID WAS ALMOST LIKE A HOME FOR THEM

OUR MEMORIES OF THOSE COME AND GO’S WERE ALL SO FAST

THE LEAVES WE HAD ON FURLOUGHS NEVER SEEMED TO LAST

THEN CAME THE TIME OUR OVERSEAS TOUR WAS FINALLY DONE

MY BROTHER LOU AND I WERE HOME AT LAST FOR BETTER DAYS TO COME

ONCE WHILE I WAS HOME ON LEAVE I WAS SO ANXIOUS TO SHOOT MY GUN

AGAIN I HEAR THE REPEAT OF MY MOM’S WORDS “DO BE CAREFUL SON”

I OFTENED WONDERED WHY THIS HATE SHE HAD FOR SUCH A THING

SHE NEVER LIKED THE SOUND WHEN A SHOT WOULD RING

NOW MY BROTHER RON WAS DRAFTED IN THE ARMY FOR HIS TWO YEAR DECREE

PROUD OF HIS UNIFORM AS HE TRAINED IN THE U.S. INFANTRY

HE KNEW HIS JOB AND THERE IS NO DOUBT HE KNEW IT WELL

RON WAS A SERGEANT AND LEADER IN THE FIELDS CALLED “HELL”

HE WAS TRAINED AND READY AND SO WERE HIS FIGHTING MEN

NOW ANOTHER ONE OUT OF OUR FAMILY MUST FIGHT AGAIN

RON WANTED TO GO AND NOTHING WOULD CHANGE HIS MIND

HE FELT IT HIS DUTY TO SEEK THE ENEMY AND TO FIND

IT WASN’T LONG WHEN MY MOTHER HAD THIS UNUSAL DREAM

SHE HEARD HIS VOICE CALL “MOM” IT WAS GENTLE NOT A SCREAM

NOW SHE HAD A FEELING SHE HAD NEVER NEVER FELT BEFORE

AND THEN IT SEEMED TO WORSEN WITH THE KNOCK UPON THE DOOR

SHE ANSWERED AND GREETED A SERGEANT STANDING IN UNIFORM

HE HAD TO BREAK THE NEWS THAT HIT THE HOUSE LIKE A STORM

YES, MY LITTLE BROTHER RON WAS LISTED AS KILLED IN VIET NAM

HE DIED WITH THE PRIDE AND DIGNITY OF BEING A U.S.A. INFANTRYMAN

NOW MY THOUGHTS WANDER BACK, YES BACK TO MY MOM

AND IT STRIKES ME NOW AS HARD AS A BOMB

I NOW KNOW WHY SHE HATED THAT THING THAT MADE A BANG

FOR IT SUNK A HOLE IN HER HEART LIKE A RATTLESNAKE’S FANG

WHAT CAN I SAY, “RON AND I SURE HAD OUR FUN??”

WHAT ABOUT MY HEART BROKEN MOM, WHO SAID, “DO BE CAREFUL SON”