ED WOODS

                                                     He was born;

in Toronto                                                                      born in Kabul

democratic childhood                                                   war zone youth

nurtured sunrise                                                           feared sunrise sky

excelled in school                                                        scavenged to exist

developed life skills                                                     in hellish want

teenage enjoyment                                                      hungered for comfort

a young man                                                                learned explosives

in the pursuit of love                                                   adrenaline hatred

learned many a sport                                                  taught to operate weapons

loved a challenge                                                        target practice

became a pilot                                                             how to bomb a plane

joined the Air Force                                                      entered a militia

assigned a fighter jet                                                   drove a jeep

guns, bombs, and missiles                                          of light missiles

upon a mission zone                                                    from the sky

zeroed in on the enemy                                               came an enemy

devastated the target zone                                         shells and tracer fire

vehicles and people blasted                                       sudden great pain

pulled up for departure                                               his body blown skyward

back to the base                                                         landed dead hard

soft landing to recuperation                                      now to a makeshift funeral

he is the child of a mom                                             he was the child of a mom