I looked into his eyes,
Into those fading shades of blue,
And far behind the shadows
There lay a life, a time. I knew
All about the stories,
About the horrors of war,
I had seen it etched and printed
On windows, walls and doors.
I had heard it on the t.v.,
Read the news in blaring headlines,
But nothing quite prepared me
For the pain beneath those eyes.
The stories didn’t tell
About his life - this aging man,
And now he keeps it hidden,
Afraid to face the war again.
Far away inside a memory
Locked without a key or chain
Lies the youth - battered, bruised,
Torn away and dipped in pain.

©Karen Chappell