An Unknown American Hero: Revolutionary Blogging Free Verse Poem

Eighty carrier landings.
Thousands of hours of training.
Ready to deliver mushroom
clouds
if ordered.
While his friends died practicing.
He kept going.
He sacrificed.
Time.
Practice.
Patience.
Practice.
Exactness.
Practice.
Thinking.
Practice.
And more practice.
Ready
because of practice.
Willing
because of devotion.
Able
because of practice
and devotion.

Nothing happened
during those years.
Our country
never was attached.
Never saw mushrooms bloom.
Never felt the ravages of war.
Maybe because he was there?

I’ve known him
for decades,
father of friends,
born during his service,
but until today
I never knew he was
and is
an American hero.

I walked next to him,
today,
head down,
not wanted to take his deserved glory;
watched as hundreds applauded,
waved flags,
shook his hand,
said, earnestly,
“THANK YOU!”

After decades
I am able to recognize,
and salute
and say,
from my heart,
as I have so often to others:
“Thank you for your service”.

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