He went to war, his spirits high
his patriotism beating like a drum
weaned on the exhilarating highs
and the heroics of war movies
he marched into battle jubilant
bullets flew, cannons blasted
soldiers dead and dying
a carnival of carnage erupted
the ground soaked with blood
body parts strew all over it
horrors he never expected
the movies had lied to him
war was hell, not cinematic
when the long war ended
both his legs amputated
his mind screwed up and
shell shocked terminally
tried to put his life together
couldn’t do it and tragically
he ended in the streets
homeless shell shocked
and chronically broken.
Bob Boyd