How Ya Gonna Keep Him Close To The Farm?

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icebox
Member Elite

since 2003-05-03

Posts 4383
in the shadows

0 posted 2006-07-05 12:08 PM

.

In how many lifetimes lost
has summer been the time
for letting loose the dogs of war?

I have grown too long in tooth
to be of use beyond sagacity in concept and design,
and find I lack the heart to plan
for violence I can no longer carry on my own.

Five years it has been,
and you appear
gently knocking on my door,
sheepish,
almost chagrined
to say you have to ask once more;

in those five years we both have aged,
me beyond redemption;
half my age it shows on you
in weariness around the eyes,
the craft of casually comfortable tourist shirt
worn out a size too large
over shadow bulge and chino pants,
shoes that won’t outrun your feet,
still
the lightest scent of gun oil finds my nose.

Half my age,
you are half my age,
just at the edge of understanding
the real cost built into this life you chose;
I won’t mention that I told you the price
of deciding who lives who dies,
when you were young and only full of fire,
but yes I see it in your eyes,
tiny scars
left every time scenes of madness slipped within your soul,
the small familiar ache of walking through the world alone,
even in a crowd,
always alone;
a look I see in every morning’s mirror.

That
and pride,
I’ll grant you have kept some pride
still glowing in belief,
I see inside you still the fires burning,
pride in skill and craft you learned so well,
belief that even horror may serve a greater good;
this time some small advice was all I gave you,
logistic lines and a few objectives more defined
nothing you could not have handled on your own
in your own time,
and I am sure
for a while
you will be fine,
one handshake beneath locked eyes
two tigers cutting trail
wary at each other’s sight,
I am as sure you understood
your path of shadows will one lifetime
return you to the light,
as I know
I can not stop you nor would I if I could.

©2006 by icebox
.

Midnitesun