the family's been here for   the last hundred years   and it's all that he's ever known   life in the cotton fields   swamps and the rolling hills   always called Arkansas home   but when the war came   like his father before   he joined the army   and went to the war   leaving the rolling hills   swamps and the cotton fields   bound for a Normandy shore   the patch that he wore on   his uniform   was both blue and grey   the colors of men who died   fighting another fight   and more would die today   at Omaha beach against Germany   a young country boy   struggled out of the sea   up on the sand where    many a man   would never know victory   fought the entire time   up on the front line   it was lonely, bloody and cold   the only relief he'd find   might be some old French wine   the water was all dirty and froze    but he was luckier than some   a better soldier than most   he came back from Europe   but never got home   now he's back on the farm   but not out of harm   he drank so the pain wouldn't show   well he left behind   my brothers and I   we never really knew him at all   I barely remember him   smoking with a grin   but looking mean; standing tall   well I can only hope   that he wouldn't be ashamed   of the man I become   and the life that I made   and he did the hardest part   and lived life with all his heart   and I hope I don't let him down