Taps

The old man stood silently, head bowed Fighting back tears that needed to flow freely A young Marine was playing Taps on the hill above He and his wife shattered by the recent events Holding on to his sanity with the loss of his son War? What is it good for, what purpose does it serve In defense of our nation, yes For the protection of our freedom, yes To fill a hunger for power, no; a thirst for greed, never Oh God, to lose your child, the war never ends As the last note is played, his knees buckle in grief My son, Oh God, my son, Taps echoing in the distance If his death served a purpose there could be a closing If for one moment he could believe but it wasn’t there Looking at his wife and the despair in her eyes he remembers The words to an old folk song play over and over in his mind When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? In the days to come, he’ll sit by his son’s grave and talk One sided conversations but he knows he hears him So much to say, family, politics, war, questions unanswered Why did you have to die son, Why? Dear God, tell me why War, What is it good for? What purpose under heaven A grieving father, an inconsolable mother, the answer burns Absolutely nothing!