Innocences of a Virgin Mind Lost

From A Youths Mind That Rekindle Recent Prom Date Dreams
Now Becomes Forced A Man To Taste Battles Ugly Scenes
Once What Would Have Become Loves First Embrace
Now Only See Projectiles Deadly Trace
Lips Anticipation That Were To Meet This Bliss
Are Now Only Of A Foreign Land Burnt And Left Sun Kissed
Chevrolet, Baseball And Mothers Apple Pie
Completing Part Of Our Americana Requires Innocence To Die?
The Pending Labor Overseas Of Ones Own Home Grown
Not Seeing Their Babies Being Born They Bemoan
Some May See And Some Shall Not
Why Is One Amongst This Youthful Lot?
Counting Days As Prisoners Do Time
Thoughts Of Cold Coronas Rimmed With Lime
I Can Not Conceive In This Virgin Mind
New Found Freedom To Some Will Come
For Now You Only Get To Meet The Reaper Or A Letter To Dear John
Socio-disadvantaged Lads Come Join The Troops!
No Other Choose But To Be In This Group
Being All You Can Be, Aiming High Of The Few And The Proud
More Thoughts Of Home Yell So Loud
Rockets Red Glare Results In Thousand Yard Stares
Shattered Dreams, Broken Bones Along With Twisted Minds That Never Fair
What I Leave Behind Is Nothing More Than What Awaits At Home
Phantom Pains From Missing Limbs Achy Groans
Grit Never Seems To Clear From Ones Teeth
A Constant Reminder From The Infamous Youth Thief
Telling Grand Children War Stories Of The Lucky Ones Who Had Some
Pondering All The While In Hopes That Their Little World Never Comes Undone

Ray Anthony
Circa 2005

Dedicated to all the men and women of the US Armed Forces that have served and perished for more than one country back then, and to those who are to-date, still proudly serving abroad away from their loved ones, making sacrifices of body, mind and soul.