Soldier Boy Poem by Shiloh Thompson

Author's Note: To Cody, my pen pal.

Walking alone in the rain, I see your face,
Covered in dust and grime in the sand,
Half a world away, you are with me here,
Close to my heart and my thoughts.

A pen dipped in ink only says so much,
The faceless conversations for hours,
Laughs we’ve shared across the distance,
And stories we never get tired of hearing.

A friendship like this I have never known,
One young man and a younger woman,
Each the other’s hero and best friend,
While having never met face to face before.

On days I fear the world and my life,
You are there to bolster my spirits,
Telling me just what I need to hear,
Getting me to laugh when I want to cry.

You tell me of the harsh realities of war,
Of the deaths you’ve seen and felt,
You try to protect me from the horrors,
I wish you didn’t have to live them.

As I sleep at night you are keeping me safe,
On the front lines under constant pressure,
At night you hear the mortars exploding nearby,
Ready in a moment to do your dark duty.

Every night I face the East and blow a kiss,
Sending my love and prayers to my soldier,
Waiting for the next sunrise and new day,
To hear from my best friend once again.