Sit Pretty Bang

I remember that day

Way to clear for my memory

It never stops crossing my mind

Why?

Who would want to remember this?

“Sit pretty…” said the man

For a picture of your screaming face

As I pound feverishly against your frail body

Not stopping once to listen to your pleads

He meant.

I was but a child

No older than six

You were but a man

No older than seventeen

You aged and died with a heroic view.

I remember your face

It fell when the man came into your vision

It crumpled and cursed silently

This man was a demon

You must have wanted to destroy him.

I remember your eyes

They danced with rage and poisonous language

Darting them to my fabricated body behind the curtain

You wanted to protect me

With what was my splatter shield?

I remember your call

Why did you scream my name?

In anger you made me scared

No, not of my usual fear

But of fear of losing you.

I remember your arms

Wrapped around me as you carried me down

Running away from the man

You hunted for him

And now he hunts for you.

BANG!!!

I remember the fall

My back carved into the ground under your weight

You still trudged forward

But not carrying me

I was the one who lead the way now.

I remember your gasps as we ran the porch

Spilling into your house

Motherly comforts came to my cries

As you lay lifeless

Still…cold…stained.

BANG!!!

Another shell falls to the floor

BANG!!!

Another impales into his back

BANG!!!

Another fire rings through the air.

He’s had enough

You can’t take him from me more than once

He is gone

My brother is gone

My conscript has vanished.

BANG!!!

“You shot my son!”

BANG!!!

The man falls to the floor

BANG!!!

Did you know that your father killed your murderer?

I remember my reflection

When your mother took me to wash away

My face was sprinkled

With rainy droplets of your blood

I recall not wanting them to come off.

I remember that sunny morning

When they lowered you into the ground

I gave you a single sunflower

Dreaming you were there holding my hand

But…any word is too harsh to explain your placement now.

I keep you a secret

There is only a few that know

Some may enduce that dreadful murder in 2001

But no one will ever know

That what you did was a murderous save.

Yes, Chris, I remember that day

You ran with me from harm

You saved me too late

You were shot down in my place

You marked me with your paint.