The Ramblings Of John W. Wood

---

The Ramblings Of John W. Wood - book excerpt

SOME MUST GO

I’m the boy from down the street

I’m the one you thought so sweet

I’m the boy who said, “Good morning, Ma’am.”

I’m the one who held the door, who mowed your lawn

I’m the one who went when none would go

I’m the one and many more, who went to war

I’m the one with dreams of life who jumped from planes

I’m the one who climbed the nets

I’m the one who drove the tanks and sailed the ships

We’re the ones who’ll not come home

BETRAYED

Leaning upon his mighty sword, he stood Guard

Eyeing the horizon for signs of trouble

His armor scarred and dented from battle after battle

But it wasn’t an enemy seen and fought that brought him down

But the black shaft of ignorance and deceit that pierced his armor

And then his heart

THE GREEN MACHINE

You know we do not come in peace!

But you told us there was no other choice

You called, and we obeyed

Advancing through the fog of war

We Marines; the Green Machine

We do not come in peace!

THE GATES of HELL

Night and day the big guns roared flames and cordite smoke filled the air

The dawn is dark the morning chill bone-deep

A metal voice commands, “Coxswains, man your boats!”

Winches scream and hearts they race the sea is chop the shore is near

Armed men stand in silent fear their packs are heavy legs are weak

The rope netting laid or the side down below our gray metal ride

The metal voice speaks once again, “Marines, man, your boats!”

The smell of diesel, shuffling feet hands are strong but somehow weak

Creaking rope-net beneath our feet upturned faces watch our descent

The metal deck rises, the net goes slack, boots hit the side, a foot is caught!

Quick thinking hands pull it taught boots on the deck, safe for now

Now we circle, circle, waiting, waiting

Coxswains push the throttles full the spray wets us all as the decks rise and fall

“Stand-by,” a voice shouts out our heats nearly giving out

Then we are there; the ramp comes down, the coxswains good we’ll not drown

“Follow me,” the Lieutenant yells and leads us through to the gates of hell

The Gentle Man

A gentle-man they all agreed

He walked for miles, did you know?

Rain or shine and in the snow

Always pleasant with a smile, a nod, “Hello.”

What makes a man so gentle they would ask?

But the answer they would never know

Of ribbons with metal stars pinned in a row

Across his chest by men who know

That this gentle-man had lost his mind in a war fought long ago

His friends had died to save his life

His vengeance flared

If he lived or died, he didn’t care

He charged the enemy; he killed them all

In that far off place, that forgotten hell

He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t rest

The daemons came they called his name

But he remembered his friends now cold

Who had fought for him, freedom and their homes

So he walked and walked mile after mile

He did not want to be what he had been

He beat the daemons he began to smile

He became the gentle-man that no one knew

JOIN the NAVY

We were boys, not quite men

We got in trouble now and then

Then one day while in town

A man asked, “Son, have you been around?”

“We’ve been nowhere,” we did expound

“Well,” said he, “You should join the Navy!”

There are places both warm and cold

With exotic women and they’re bold

Why son they’ll sweep you clean off your feet!

All you need do is join the fleet

Go to sea and save the world.

We stood as men and took the pen

They smiled and welcomed us aboard

Handed us a swab, a broom, and pan

Told us, “clean up boys, become a man!”

We soon longed for home, to be a boy

But something happened along the way

The boys began to learn a lot

Mechanical things and those damned knots

We broke our knuckles complained a lot

We thought ourselves a sorry lot

Then one day the sea grew black sky was gray

That great hunk of iron began to sway!

We hadn’t time for fear to come

We hit the decks on the run

When daylight came, we still were there

No longer boys for we were crew, and each one of us knew

Navy men, each and every one, proud of what we’d become

My Valentine

We met late in life

We bothhad tried love and failed

But something clicked, when we met

We fell in love

Had we met earlier we agreed it would have failed

But I often wish I had more time

To love my Mary, my Valentine

Autumn Love

It was our autumn when we met

Our love full of color like autumn leaves

An Indian summer for us both

Winters come, there’ll be no spring

Your bloom, your warmth is gone; I miss you so

If you cannot be with me, then I will come to be with you

SOMEDAY

Do you remember as a kid all the things we said, the things we did?

Not understanding what our parents said, “When you grow up you’ll understand”

About making noise, climbing branches, daring each to take chances

Climbing roofs and then jumping, throwing snowballs at the cars

Climbing fences, ringing doorbells in the night

Getting caught all full of fright

Now we’re older, and we wonder why our kids don’t listen

To what is said, “When you grow up, you’ll understand.”

FOREVER

Found upon a temple wall written in an ancient scrawl

A boy of a distant time etch of his broken heart

His scratched-in words told how his love for her

Would live forever though she had taken another lover

Leaving him alone to write upon this temple wall

I WANTED YOU TO KNOW

We have talked, you and me

Of what to do if one must leave

We’ve talked of money, home and kids

Whom to call…. who would care

But while I can, I want you to know

How much I love you, how much I care

For all you’ve done and for your support

For loving me with all my warts

Accepting my apologizes for things I’ve done

You are my life you are the ONE

I wanted you to know before one of us must go

I’M A COWBOY!

Saturday Matinee They ride

Wild Bill Elliot and Randolph Scott

Out of the dark into the sun

Home again on the run I get my silver gun

Back outside, I’ve got no hat, I’ve got no chaps

Slapping my leg, off I go on my imaginary horse, Ringo

My sidekicks are Wild Bill and Randolph Scott,

Both of them I like a lot

We see the bad guys, there they go!

But they’re no match for my Ringo

Scott and Elliot both ride up

Scott, his voice is deep, “Good job, son, you’re the best.”

Elliot’s bright white smile tells me the rest

You’re one of us. You are a cowboy!