A BOX MADE OF IRONWOOD

A box made from Wood, from manzanita,

Ironwood it’s called, a box that will withstand the fires of hell,

The hotter the fire, the stronger the wood,

A box that cannot be burned or destroyed

A perfect box for keeping memories and deeds locked away

A box from which they cannot escape, cannot see the light of day

Locked with a simple brass turnkey,

It opens so easy for me

Inside I find memories long locked away

Memories I now bring into the light of day

Pictures, many pictures, all old, all worn and tattered and torn

Pictures in color, pictures with no color, pictures with no names

Pictures of a lonely desert house, pictures that show a boy and girl

Handsome young boy, beautiful young girl, she has long hair

Eyes, black eyes that sparkle in the desert sun, how beautiful she is

Strength, massive strength is seen in his young body, signs of the man he will be.

Pictures of horses, wild beautiful magnificent horses

A picture of three young men, and a beautiful young woman

Three powerful men in their prime, all standing over six feet tall

Strong and full of life, breaking horses and loving life

A young woman, small of stature, a face of such beauty

A woman’s figure, full and strong, a body for the bearing of children

Three men, one the brother with her in their mothers womb

Two men, suitors for the young woman, her brother only smiles

A picture. A wedding picture, taken in the deserts of their home

In it, a beautiful young woman and a tall strong Indian warrior

Pictures of jungles, pictures of men, men with stripes on their faces and clothes

Pictures of Men, of Warriors, pictures of men soon to die

Pictures of villages. Burned to the ground, bodies laying all around

Pictures of Men, grim determination on their face and revenge in their eyes

Parchments, many parchment papers, papers with words of magnificent deeds

Parchments with words of courage and valor or love for his brothers

Letters from his wife, letters full of love

Letters that talk of how it will be, when home he returns

Newspaper article, Los Angeles 1968

Birth of a boy child, his first-born

Parchments with words of praise and words of glory and honor

Medals, many, many medals, badges and patches and two Berets.

What are they? What do they mean? Which words go with them?

These are the memories of a soldier at war, of those he lost.

Letters, many, many letters, letters from his sister

Letters full of life and plans and of love

Letters from his wife, her letters are complaining

No longer words of love from her to him do come

Messages, messages from the Army, tear stained papers

We regret, we are sorry to inform, killed in action, missing in action

A small newspaper obituary. Killed in Action,

Picture of a young Indian woman. Heavy with child

Tears on her cheeks, heart is broken.

Her husband she sends home to his Gods

Her brother is still missing in action

He is found; he is alive

Berets, funny looking green hats,

Blood stained, her husbands blood and her brothers blood

Newspaper article., in Los Angles 1970,

Birth of a boy child, his second

Newspaper article, San Carlos,

1970, birth of a girl child, her first and only

More Army papers, many, many more papers

All say something of his years and skills and job

Divorce papers, his wife wants him no more

Custody papers, his wife wants not their sons

Newspaper article San Carlos Arizona

1975, woman murdered, child an orphan

Death certificate. His sister’s. 1975 Arizona.

Hard to read, very descriptive, his tears stain the paper

Adoption papers, 1975, Arizona and California

A small girl without parents is adopted by her Uncle

A mortgage trust deed. Their house, her house now as well

A marriage certificate, Los Angeles 1976 Oct. 1.

Adoption certificates, 1977 Los Angeles,

Three motherless children now have a mother

Papers, Coast Guard papers, his licenses,

His Third Offices license, His Second Officers License

More Coast Guard papers, His Chief Officers License

His Master Mariner’s License., any ocean any vessel  no limits

Death certificates, Arizona, his Mother, Arizona, his Father

Death certificates, New York, her father

Achievement certificates, Children are doing well

Certificates from schools for all of their children

Report cards, hers always excellent in all classes

Her brothers average except in sports, each one saved

Pictures drawn by small hands, school pictures,

All carefully dated and saved. Each with a loving comment

Letters from a husband to his wife, letters filled with love

Postmarked from far away places bearing his love for her

Pictures of children growing up, of children becoming grown

Pictures of his wife, his reason for living.

Each picture carefully dated, each weathered and worn.

Each hand drawn picture has been handled until the edges are worn

I wonder on how many bulkheads they have been placed

How many places have these pictures seen?

More pictures, pictures of ships, his ships

Ships and ports and places most will never know

Letters home from those far away places

Letters sending his love home

Letters from his home, from his family

Letters sending their love to him

Each letter, each picture a memory

Each a memory of a man and woman

Each piece of life and death, each memory

Each memory echoes his life and his death

His memories of life when very young

His memories of life as a young man

His memories of life as a soldier

His memories of life and death in war

His memories of one way of life ending

His memories of raising three small children alone

His memories of meeting his reason for living

Her memories of meeting her reason for living

Her memories of raising their families

 Their memories, and now I will add mine as well.

This is the Memory Box; it cannot be burned

It cannot be destroyed; our memories are now

And forever protected by this box if Ironwood.

 © becky