The Ramblings Of John W. Wood
The Ramblings Of John W. Wood - book excerpt
SOME MUST GO
I’m the boy from down the street
I’m the one you thought so sweet
I’m the boy who said, “Good morning, Ma’am.”
I’m the one who held the door, who mowed your lawn
I’m the one who went when none would go
I’m the one and many more, who went to war
I’m the one with dreams of life who jumped from planes
I’m the one who climbed the nets
I’m the one who drove the tanks and sailed the ships
We’re the ones who’ll not come home
BETRAYED
Leaning upon his mighty sword, he stood Guard
Eyeing the horizon for signs of trouble
His armor scarred and dented from battle after battle
But it wasn’t an enemy seen and fought that brought him down
But the black shaft of ignorance and deceit that pierced his armor
And then his heart
THE GREEN MACHINE
You know we do not come in peace!
But you told us there was no other choice
You called, and we obeyed
Advancing through the fog of war
We Marines; the Green Machine
We do not come in peace!
THE GATES of HELL
Night and day the big guns roared flames and cordite smoke filled the air
The dawn is dark the morning chill bone-deep
A metal voice commands, “Coxswains, man your boats!”
Winches scream and hearts they race the sea is chop the shore is near
Armed men stand in silent fear their packs are heavy legs are weak
The rope netting laid or the side down below our gray metal ride
The metal voice speaks once again, “Marines, man, your boats!”
The smell of diesel, shuffling feet hands are strong but somehow weak
Creaking rope-net beneath our feet upturned faces watch our descent
The metal deck rises, the net goes slack, boots hit the side, a foot is caught!
Quick thinking hands pull it taught boots on the deck, safe for now
Now we circle, circle, waiting, waiting
Coxswains push the throttles full the spray wets us all as the decks rise and fall
“Stand-by,” a voice shouts out our heats nearly giving out
Then we are there; the ramp comes down, the coxswains good we’ll not drown
“Follow me,” the Lieutenant yells and leads us through to the gates of hell
The Gentle Man
A gentle-man they all agreed
He walked for miles, did you know?
Rain or shine and in the snow
Always pleasant with a smile, a nod, “Hello.”
What makes a man so gentle they would ask?
But the answer they would never know
Of ribbons with metal stars pinned in a row
Across his chest by men who know
That this gentle-man had lost his mind in a war fought long ago
His friends had died to save his life
His vengeance flared
If he lived or died, he didn’t care
He charged the enemy; he killed them all
In that far off place, that forgotten hell
He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t rest
The daemons came they called his name
But he remembered his friends now cold
Who had fought for him, freedom and their homes
So he walked and walked mile after mile
He did not want to be what he had been
He beat the daemons he began to smile
He became the gentle-man that no one knew
JOIN the NAVY
We were boys, not quite men
We got in trouble now and then
Then one day while in town
A man asked, “Son, have you been around?”
“We’ve been nowhere,” we did expound
“Well,” said he, “You should join the Navy!”
There are places both warm and cold
With exotic women and they’re bold
Why son they’ll sweep you clean off your feet!
All you need do is join the fleet
Go to sea and save the world.
We stood as men and took the pen
They smiled and welcomed us aboard
Handed us a swab, a broom, and pan
Told us, “clean up boys, become a man!”
We soon longed for home, to be a boy
But something happened along the way
The boys began to learn a lot
Mechanical things and those damned knots
We broke our knuckles complained a lot
We thought ourselves a sorry lot
Then one day the sea grew black sky was gray
That great hunk of iron began to sway!
We hadn’t time for fear to come
We hit the decks on the run
When daylight came, we still were there
No longer boys for we were crew, and each one of us knew
Navy men, each and every one, proud of what we’d become
My Valentine
We met late in life
We bothhad tried love and failed
But something clicked, when we met
We fell in love
Had we met earlier we agreed it would have failed
But I often wish I had more time
To love my Mary, my Valentine
Autumn Love
It was our autumn when we met
Our love full of color like autumn leaves
An Indian summer for us both
Winters come, there’ll be no spring
Your bloom, your warmth is gone; I miss you so
If you cannot be with me, then I will come to be with you
SOMEDAY
Do you remember as a kid all the things we said, the things we did?
Not understanding what our parents said, “When you grow up you’ll understand”
About making noise, climbing branches, daring each to take chances
Climbing roofs and then jumping, throwing snowballs at the cars
Climbing fences, ringing doorbells in the night
Getting caught all full of fright
Now we’re older, and we wonder why our kids don’t listen
To what is said, “When you grow up, you’ll understand.”
FOREVER
Found upon a temple wall written in an ancient scrawl
A boy of a distant time etch of his broken heart
His scratched-in words told how his love for her
Would live forever though she had taken another lover
Leaving him alone to write upon this temple wall
I WANTED YOU TO KNOW
We have talked, you and me
Of what to do if one must leave
We’ve talked of money, home and kids
Whom to call…. who would care
But while I can, I want you to know
How much I love you, how much I care
For all you’ve done and for your support
For loving me with all my warts
Accepting my apologizes for things I’ve done
You are my life you are the ONE
I wanted you to know before one of us must go
I’M A COWBOY!
Saturday Matinee They ride
Wild Bill Elliot and Randolph Scott
Out of the dark into the sun
Home again on the run I get my silver gun
Back outside, I’ve got no hat, I’ve got no chaps
Slapping my leg, off I go on my imaginary horse, Ringo
My sidekicks are Wild Bill and Randolph Scott,
Both of them I like a lot
We see the bad guys, there they go!
But they’re no match for my Ringo
Scott and Elliot both ride up
Scott, his voice is deep, “Good job, son, you’re the best.”
Elliot’s bright white smile tells me the rest
You’re one of us. You are a cowboy!
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