Mother of a Soldier

It's been a year since he set foot in here
The shelves have dust, his desk is cluttered up
Just like he left it before switching gears
Suiting up for battle to show he's tough

He never should have left, that much is clear
The walls are blank, he took the photos, too
There are no memories now that he's not here
What's a single mother got to do?

I got a letter today that he's dead,
I guess I should have kept it but I did not;
In the garbage, with the junk instead
Of in my brain, where the news belonged

I think about his empty room most days,
And pray the pain begins to fade away.