SHE HAD HIS SIX
by Katherine Stickroth© “She’s yours, not mine” He was gruff to say Of the pup squirming in my arms But she won him over With soft brown eyes Her honesty was her charm A cellophane pop The grab of his cap It was time to have a smoke She stood at the door To the sacred porch Then she gave his leg a poke How often I gazed Through the curtained glass At the two who were now a pair Not a word was said Not a move was made But I saw the thousand yard stare Without a sound He told her of The Hueys that swarmed like bees The tracers of light The ear-numbing booms The blood, the cries and the screams “We didn’t have friends. Just ‘Buddy’ would do” He told his little girl She wiggled her tail And nudged his hand His fingers would then unfurl By then I ran To the kitchen sink Pretending I didn’t know She was on his six In the places where His wife was forbidden to go And now he lies On a hospice bed Agent Orange counts the rise of his chest She nuzzles his hand On top of her head Too soon is his final breath She had his six Like no one did He was safe with her along His little girl dog Her mission complete She trailed him all the way home.
1 Comment
7/11/2019 05:16:00 am
I love how you properly conveyed your feelings thru this poem that you wrote. It is not easy to just go around and start writing what you feel about. You were able to properly articulate the feelings that you have for that person and I really admired you for that. If you ask me, most people cannot do what you have done here. I surely wish that your words can reach her, you deserve to know how she feels about you.
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AuthorA 50-something woman comes home to a place she's never been before. Archives
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