My Father In Law Poem by Raj Dronamraju

My father in law
Barely missed the last just war
But saw the severed heads of prisoners of war
The Japanese displayed them
On the main street of the town where he lived as a boy, my father in law

My father in law
Was orphaned at an early age and became a police officer
He fought in the jungle against guerrillas
Became a sergeant and was responsible for doling out the pay to his men, my father in law

My father in law
Married and had four children (the youngest is my wife)
Lived in government employee housing
Once a month they all went out for dinner and a movie
All four kids, my mother in law, and my father in law

My father in law
Liked to drink whiskey
Broke his leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 75
Had open heart surgery
Still gets up early to drive the grandkids to school, my father in law

My father in law
Kept a small notebook with numbers in it
These were for playing the lottery
Wrote down license plate numbers, dates of employment, driver's license ID's
Always looking for the winning combination, my father in law

My father in law
And I had a drink on the porch
I think he thought I was of an alien race
We had different life experiences
His life experiences should be recorded for posterity, my father in law