Ray's Candy
Inspiration from Belly up, it's A Poetry Feed. (Karsten Piper) primes a compelling desire to try to choose and arrange words. Then today, a post from 22 Words (Abraham Piper) seemed to link arms with what I'd recently written as an experiment and saved for posting later or never.
I guess now is later!
Ray's Candy
Christine leaves in the morning to volunteer at the Nursing Home.
When she returns home she pulls out a piece of candy from her scrub-top pocket. She says it’s from Resident Ray who likes to share candy.
Resident Ray tells her, “This piece is for your mom cause she must be sweet like you.” I wonder about Ray as I unwrap the hard candy and bite it to share with Christine. Our eyes surprise at the pineapple sweetness.
Today Ray reminded Christine that the military is no place for a girl.
She said he convinced her.
He told a haunting war story about an enemy he’d shot.
He said the boy was probably a farm boy like himself with family waiting for his return home.
He told of how the boy he’d shot would return home
dead.
Ray unwraps his sorrow with Christine by his side.
He said the battlefield is where he was when he looked heavenward to a sky full of stars and met his Maker.
Forgiveness and hope.
Ray told this like a confession. Christine told it with compassion. And as I listened, involuntary tears mixed with pineapple candy.
Names have been changed to protect the innocent.
I guess now is later!
Ray's Candy
Christine leaves in the morning to volunteer at the Nursing Home.
When she returns home she pulls out a piece of candy from her scrub-top pocket. She says it’s from Resident Ray who likes to share candy.
Resident Ray tells her, “This piece is for your mom cause she must be sweet like you.” I wonder about Ray as I unwrap the hard candy and bite it to share with Christine. Our eyes surprise at the pineapple sweetness.
Today Ray reminded Christine that the military is no place for a girl.
She said he convinced her.
He told a haunting war story about an enemy he’d shot.
He said the boy was probably a farm boy like himself with family waiting for his return home.
He told of how the boy he’d shot would return home
dead.
Ray unwraps his sorrow with Christine by his side.
He said the battlefield is where he was when he looked heavenward to a sky full of stars and met his Maker.
Forgiveness and hope.
Ray told this like a confession. Christine told it with compassion. And as I listened, involuntary tears mixed with pineapple candy.
Names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Comments
So many of those men really were just boys. I'm sure they were scared, but doing what they had to do to survive.
Ray sounds like a sweet man!
So well written too, Mom!
Write more!
I agree with zz--please write more...