To the Soldier, who died, in that Kalay,
Over there, under the palm trees,
The faded adobe, muted greens, and dusty blues
I remember you
Don’t remember your name, but I remember
How you became gone,
A series of blasts along that simple street
No more than a path worn by sandaled feet
One, two, three I think there was eight or nine booms in all
Your squad mates suffered, and some died, but
Not all
For you we looked I think it was two days
I worried, we worried that the Taliban had
Hauled you away
Squirreled you into a forgetful hole
Remembered as a screensaver and a battle story told
So, we stood our watch, we blocked our roads
Searched our cars and rummaged through the usual places
But nothing came of you
If you could see our faces
When they told us you were found.
Just a portion big enough to show
That you were gone,
Rest now
Thomas "Tom" J. Carnes III (he/him), a La Vernia, Texas resident, serves as a dedicated Criminal Justice Teacher at Madison High School in San Antonio, where he imparts valuable knowledge to high school students and mentors youth. With a rich and varied military background, he was commissioned as an officer in the Army National Guard and deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Thomas found inspiration for his poetic endeavors, channeling his transformative experiences into creative expression.
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