Sitting in the shade
on an old park bench
next to a stone memorial
“They said it was the war
to end all wars,” he said
And I turned towards the voice.

I looked age in the eyes
then reached out to take
the hand he offered to me
“I made a life out of war,”
He continued as I listened,
“I don’t hate much, but I hate war.”

“My wife followed me
around the country
to live alone while I was gone.
We didn’t have time for kids
Guess that’s why I’m alone,
waiting for the sun to go down.”

“Spend most of my time
here in the park, sun or rain,
talking to the Lord and waiting
for Him to come get me.
Asked once why we have war
He said ‘It started with Cain.’”

“Did I tell you, I hate war?
Seen a lot of good men die
trying to kill a lot of good men.
When I go my family is gone
I am the last one in the family tree.
Our time of sorrow ends with me.”

“I have never had a lot
but I had what I needed,
as far as food and clothes and such.
As far as friends and loved ones
I wish I had more, but I had good ones
and I buried them all over time.”

“When I look back I see
that this life has sorrows
enough just being life.
There’s really no need to add to it
the sorrows of being enemies.
Did I tell you, I hate war?”

That man is now part of history
The Lord came for him
and without hesitation, he went.
Sitting that day by the stone memory,
a kind of headstone without a grave,
I said to myself, “I hate war.”

This life has enough sorrow,
the pain of birth and sorrow of death
is enough without being enemies.
We are all we have to give to another.
Either our love or our destructive hate,
stone hearts building memories of stone.

© 2017 Tim D. Coulter Sr.