Courage

I remember grade school lunch hour tales
of the "chicken wars".
You had to gather eggs
and the boss rooster
was determined to prevent it
So you went armed.
A stick to knock him back
when he came spurs first in a flying fury.

It had made you fearless tho you didn't know it.

You poured concrete 100 feet
off the ground
in granary monuments of bounty,
and caught the swinging crane thrown
bucket to dump.
It made you fearless tho you didn't know.

They flew you over there and handed you a gun.
So you went armed.
You were getting shot at
so you shot back. Gentle soul
in the blood of combat.
You were "scared shitless" half the time
you said
so when we'd hunt or fish together
and a small noise would cause you to tense and turn
years later you would laugh it off
as the childhood rooster.

The day you won your silver star.
You volunteered.
The bird colonel said "I need some men."
And you were a MAN.
And you sat in the door and ran that big gun til it melted.
Your helicopter lifting off just in time
as the mortars walked in.
Saving one load and another.
Door gunner volunteer.
Fearless tho you didn't know.

You had to tell me about the rooster again.
A childhood confidant.
Before you could tell me of that day of combat.
How the chopper almost hung still
as the panicked men grabbed legs, of legs, of legs,
of men grabbing skids
and you fired and fired and fired
at the enemy coming up the hill
while the mortar rounds walked in.
And the the chain of despair would break at the top
and load lightened you went up and away.

To a Silver Star
You went to the stars fearless.

~~ Phil Specht