Veteran

Today he was gone

The room was empty

Devoid of the young veteran

Sitting at the table

Lap top humming

Working

On something

Perhaps a paper

A resume

Earnest in demeanor

Serious

Accomplishing his task

But today he was gone

That quite handsome

Busy young man

Very young

Too young

A veteran

Of what

Iraq

Afghanistan 

Comrades dead

IEDs

Snipers

Friendly fire

But today he was gone

Hopefully not dead

Yet

Perhaps called up again

Another tour

A trip to exotica abroad

Maybe this time safely to Germany or Japan

Or probably he just finished his paper

©kcasady2014

Resilience

This dying aunt

This last connection to her mother

Bound up together 

Tied by a complicated twisted chord

This dying aunt whom everyone loved

Her grandchildren

Her great grandchildren

Perhaps even her children

This dying aunt who most unlovingly loved her

Upon whom her mother heaped human tribute

Stripping the golden soul of her daughter

And burning it to appease her baby sister

This dying aunt cloaked in feigned martyrdom

For always doing the right thing

Smugly watched the sacrifice 

Convincing her latent admirers that the sky was red

But the sky fought back hard

With its drenching blue eyes

Though sometimes

Thunderous deep grey green 

Crying out its painful yellow tears 

Breathing blue again

This dying aunt

Old

Wrinkled 

Frail

Now unaware

But perhaps dreaming of

A red sky infused with blue

©kcasady2014