SILENT BROTHER

My little silent brother,
Whose name I never knew,
Your deep black eyes had touched my heart
When wounded, we found you.

Under the deluge, the flames were gone,
But the aftermath remained,
Your silent eyes embraced my heart,
For I knew you were in pain.

And we carried you to safety,
Right through the day's monsoon,
For if we reached the MASH in time,
You were sure to live, we knew.

A shot of morphine eased the pain,
The flight deck turned crimson red.
I prayed to God to spare your life,
And to take my life, instead.

And when I looked into your eyes,
I didn't mean to cry,
But I lied to you. I lied to you,
'cause I knew that you would die.

And when the second ampoule hit,
Shot the morphine in your thigh,
I'll never forget the words you said:
"Beaucoup Numbah One, G.I."

Your little life had meaning, son,
Of this you can be sure.
For I won't let the world forget you,
And the pain you had endured.

And as we held your tiny hands,
Your life had slipped away.
And thirty long years later, friend,
I write about that day.

Perhaps the people reading this
Will soon enough get smart.
Perhaps the impact your life had
Will melt a cruel, cold heart.

The world now knows the suff'ring,
And shares a small child's pain.
Perhaps the world will come to reason,
And we won't see war again.

©Copyright 2004 by David Todeschini