Cassat - Mother and Child

The Other MIA Son

Mom, will you sign this paper?

And so, I asked, what for?

So I can join the Army...

Like Grandpa did,

and he went off to war.

Is this what you want to do,

as chills ran down my spine....

Oh yes, I'm sure, he said to me -

And it will all be fine.

Time went by, and he grew up

and then he grew away

and now, he needs me for no reason

And has nothing much to say.

I've worried through Korea

cried rivers through Somalia

and tents in Bosnia's winter snows

kept me awake at night

But he seemed to be all right...

And Germany was 6 years of

those rare phone calls at night;

a quick I Love you, Mom, I gotta go

But as he said, he was all right.

Now, I call but he is busy,

he's got so much to do -

His wife says he's too

stressed out to talk,

but you know that he loves you…

I'm out of mind, he's moved away

in his thoughts and in his heart;

my heart is broken; he's MIA

I look for mail, just a word

from my only son

Calls that never come...

He just gets busy and forgets

He said he'd be all right

So, I know that he sleeps soundly

While I still cry at night.

©Christina 10-03