My 13 year old son wrote this poem that won 1st place in his school district. I wanted to share it.
Farewell Again...
When I was eight years old, my dad had to leave.
I knew what was going on, but I didn't want to believe.
He was fighting someone's else is war, that wasn't even his.
I knew he should be home with us, spending time with his kids.
I helped him pack his bags, and load them in the car,
He was going away for a while, to a place that's very far.
We drove to the airport in the middle of the night,
He looked at me and said his good byes.
He looked at me in the eyes and said,
and told me to be strong,
Then he looked at his wife and said, "Take care of your mom."
It took everything I had to fight back the tears,
He's going to be gone from nine months to a year.
For the next twelve months I was depressed,
Every little thing made me sad and stressed.
But then one day my dad came home,
and then I didn't feel sad, stressed, or alone.
You have to remember that I was eight back then,
But now I'm twelve, and my father is gone once again.