only twenty-two, he was
a considerate young man,
he arranged is own death
with due concern
for those it would effect

he called the minister
and asked him not to go
anywhere that day because
his mother would need him
but didn't say why

he called his friend, a
police officer, and asked him
to come over to the house
because his professional
services would be needed

then he said good bye
to his mother, but she
thinking he was going
to work, followed him
into the driveway

he got into his truck and
pulled his service gun, which he
had because he was a security
officer, and people depended
on him to protect them

she begged him not
to do it and tried to open
the door, but he locked it

she played the mother card
saying, "Dad is counting
on you to take care of me
if anything happens to him"

his last words were,
"How can I take care
of you when I can't even
take care of myself?"

he angled his head so
that his mother wasn't in
the line of fire, and pulled
the trigger

i heard the shot
half way across the
continent, and also
my sister screaming

and then they laid him
in the December ground
his chest covered in medals
that meant nothing
to anyone anymore