A Boy And A Father And A War

• Patch Rudd, Grade 6
• Poetry
• 2016

“Your Dad has died,” they say to the boy, “serving for the queen.”
He doesn’t wish the truth away determined that they’re wrong
He knows the past cannot be changed, and it’s a waste of time spent trying
He doesn’t lie in the grass and scream at the innocence of the night sky
Trying to find something to blame; he fears it may be himself
He doesn’t weep until his pillows soak and his eyes are sore
Deprived of a father’s love
Or attempt to bring back all the memories – the good times and the bad.
Instead, he keeps his tears in a lump in his throat, not daring to let them out
Thoughts of his Dad fill every quiet moment…
He wants to scream and shout at the telegram in his hand,
But the truth isn’t something to be hated, it’s not malicious or unfair
The truth is just the innocent reminder of a human’s mortality
And that’s what hurts the boy the most.