The Boy Enlists

  His mother's eyes are saddened, and her cheeks are stained with tears,
And I'm facing now the struggle that I've dreaded through the years;
For the boy that was our baby has been changed into a man.
He's enlisted in the army as a true American.

He held her for a moment in his arms before he spoke,
And I watched him as he kissed her, and it seemed to me I'd choke,
For I knew just what was coming, and I knew just what he'd done!
'Another little mother had a soldier for a son.

When we'd pulled ourselves together, and the first quick tears had dried,
We could see his eyes were blazing with the fire of manly pride;
We could see his head was higher than it ever was before,
For we had a man to cherish, and our baby was no more.

Oh, I don't know how to say it! With the sorrow comes the joy
That there isn't any coward in the make-up of our boy.
And with pride our hearts are swelling, though with grief they're also hit,
For the boy that was our baby has stepped forth to do his bit.


We're proud of you, Travis!

Poem by Edgar Guest
picture by Melissa West Photography