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John Governale
| "A number of years ago I was invited to speak at a Memorial Day observance at Bryant Pond. As a part of my speech I read this poem, written for a childhood friend, Jay Wright, who died in Vietnam at age 19." |
The Unknown Soldier |
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If a miracle should happen And these dry old bones Should be filled with new marrow and regain their strength, And my flesh -- Long since melted away -- Should return, And I should find myself dressed in new clothes, Standing beside this grave, And if I should be told that, Starting right now, I would be allowed to live the life That I willingly, Yet unwillingly, gave up, What would I do? I've had a long time to think about this. I would, of course, leave this forgotten hillside And return to the USA. And when the boat docked And I disembarked, I would do what millions of other soldiers have done: I would kneel down And kiss the ground. And I would say "The next time my bones are laid to rest, They are going to rest in this soil." I would go back to my home town. Even if there was no one left there Who remembered me, Even if the house I lived in was gone, Even if the town had changed so much That I didn't even recognize it, It wouldn't matter. I would go there and walk along the streets And I would say, "This is my town." I would go to a restaurant And order a meal. And when the waitress said, "Hello. How are you today?" I would say, "Ma'am, I am doing just fine." And when I finished my meal And she asked would I like some desert, I would listen to her recite all the different kinds of pie. And then, just so I could hear the names again -- And just so I could hear the sound of her voice -- I would make her say them all a second time. Then I would choose apple. Though there's a long list of things I would want to do and to see, There are three things in particular That I've spent a long time thinking about. I would do something to bless the lives of children. This sounds funny Because before, I didn't have much use for kids. I thought they were a nuisance. Heck, truth be known, I wasn't much more than a kid, myself. But I've been thinking about this, And I believe I would want to do something That would help children feel safer and happier. The second thing I would do is vote. Even if the election was the very next day, Even if I didn't know who was running, Even if the issues were things I'd never heard of, It wouldn't matter. I would go vote. I would go in the booth And look at the ballot And beside each office I would check off a name. And I would say to the names, "I'm sorry. I don't know who you are. And I don't know what you stand for. I picked you because I liked the sound of your names Or because you represent the party my daddy belonged to. But I have given you my vote. And if you win, I'm going to be watching you. If you don't do a good job, You and I are going to meet next election day in this same place, And then I won't like the sound of your names." When I put my ballot In the ballot box The lady there would say to me, "Sir, are you okay?" And I would wipe the tears from my face And I would say, "Yes, ma'am. I'm fine." The third thing I would do is, On Memorial Day, If my home town has a ceremony of some kind With maybe a school band playing patriotic songs And people giving speeches, I would go. I would put my hand over my heart And I would think about my buddies Who didn't get a second chance. Memorial Day. If I were alive, Every year I would be there and take part. If I were alive, I would over-tip a waitress. If I were alive, I would go out of my way to be kind to children. If I were alive, No matter what, I would always vote. |
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