Rod's Poetry
Videos
(click on the link below)
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Memory Of A
Son
This written for Ed Rykoskey and Family ...
In honor of their son, lost in Vietnam on 08/18/1966 MIA
...
I do hope this was okay, for he is our
brother
Brothers forever
Rod
Edward
Jay Rykoskey
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Video
of Carlisle National Guardsmen coming home after 9 month in
Iraq
taken
on 5 September 2009
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Poetry by R. C.
Keckler
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Sandstone Walls
Two sides divided only by
This here wall
With one side safe and sound
The other side a battleground
Side one is where
All the bleeding-hearts can be found
Side two is where the real bleeding lies on the ground
The place where each drop of blood falls down
But not one drop can be heard hitting the ground
For all of the bleeding hearts crying so loud
From those who are really hurting you hear not a sound
Those who shed not one drop of blood
Telling us it is their right to say it out aloud
Tell us what we should and should not be allowed
But God forbid they get their hands dirty
Or have to shed one drop of their blood
Enjoy what they believe to be their God-given right
That has never ever been that at all
When it was the blood of those who truly believed
Enough to put a uniform on and step up
To really fight for the right to keep our rights free
Knowing they may be the ones who blood
May drop to the floor and run across to the wall
To where their brothers and sisters cold bodies in bags
Lay all in a line up against that divided
Sandstone Walls
Stopping their blood from flowing
To the other side where the bleeding hearts
Stand there crying about what is to them right
When those who fight for them to say it
Without losing one signal drop of their blood
After my brothers and sisters had given there all
Each one of them in a line along the wall
At the start of another day their will be
Another pair of boots with a rifle barrel facing down
With a helmet placed on the b*** of it
Hanging from it for all to see
A pair of dog tags with the names
Of those who lives paid the price
For those who would never believe enough
To step up and pick a uniform to put on
To believe enough to go to other lands
Fight for all of us here to have
The right to choose freely
I would like to know this from all of you
Who use what you never believe in enough to fight for
Shed one drop of your blood to use that right
Where is your honor in doing something like that
With you knowing how many have lost theirs and their
life
To keep our homeland like that for all
Whose blood, bodies, and boots are standing at those
Sandstone Walls
Written By
R.C.Keckler
07/17/06
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A Solder Never Cries
Someone once said to me
Soldiers never cry because
It's a sign of weakness
This is why you never
He said again, never see
A soldier cry
So for many years now
Never would I let myself let
Anyone ever see a tear fall from these eyes
Now here my friends is my problem you see
Now that I am older then I used to be
I can't stop all those tears
From coming out of these eyes
For all to see
My question to you is this
Does that mean I'm no longer
Worthy of once being a soldier
That in my younger days was me
Because I have weakened over time
Letting my tears be seen
All because what was told to me
A Solder Never Cries
Is this right
Someone tell me please
I still have the pride of
That soldier inside of me
Written by
R.C.Keckler
10/19/08
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With A Smile And A Tear
Haven't any of you ever wondered
When you see a grown man
Standing there with a smile and a tear
In his eyes with a few running down his face
All others just walking around him
Not paying him any mind
There he stands not seeing the others
As they go by him on either side
Just like nothing is there but him
Him just staring off to nowhere land
Now you see all the others running about
Trying to see everything there is there to be seen
Taking pictures of this and that
Yet here he is just looking straight
Then ever so slowly starts stepping forward
Haven't you ever wondered what is going on
What is it that he sees that you don't
Now my friend let me tell ya
Just what is really going on
You see, when one like him comes here
To places like these
Here is what he sees
He first hears the cries
Of those who were hurt or dying
Then he sees the faces of them all
As well as where their blood was to flow
Changing the color of the field of battle
That is now replaced with these standing stones
Markers to show those who don't know
The where and why's or what it is like
This is what you can't see
Nor can any of you hear those cries
Those that are heard through our ears
That is seen through our eyes
That is why the smile
Along with the tears in our eyes
With a few running down our faces
This is what goes on inside
With those like us every time
We set foot on to that
Honored ground
From what we have gone through
In our own battle grounds
That we shall always carry around
We can see them as they were then
Still standing where they stood
When they went down
Leaving us standing there feeling
All that we had felt when it was
Like in our times on
Any of those battle grounds
With each of us holding our own
Hidden pains
Once again we shall relive
What was like for them and us as well
With A Smile And A Tear
Written By
R.C.Keckler
09/14/06
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For Them All
I have no honor to be in
uniform
But all the honor of what one stands for
When in uniform I show no rank
But have all the respect for those who do
Never will there be any metals hanging from mine
But I will always honor those who do so
None of this is because I have not earned the right to
But because of my honor for all those
Who have given their lives so
That I could be here to do so
To them I owe this uniform I'm in
Without any name
Without any rank
Without any metals
Without any units shown
So that it is for them all
For those living to see their loved ones
Names, ranks, metals, and all their units
As they see this uniform walking along
Let it stand for all those who didn't come home
In their names I stand
Proudly
For Them All
Written By
R.C.Keckler
05/18/08
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Tears of a Warrior
This is not going to be an easy one to write
For my words to do it justice
I'll need to do it just right
See if I may paint you a picture
Of just what is going off inside
Of me each and every day
I awake to once again see the sun rise
High into another beautiful sky
So please let me try to begin to find
Those words I need to let you see deep down inside
It is what only those who are gone
In the past in this, what I call, life
Every one of you at one time or another
Has seen me cry
Not many of you has not seen tears
Flow from these here eyes
As the older I get the easier it is
For me to break down to tears and cry
To me that is no big deal
At this time in my life
But those tears you all have seen
At one point or time
Were never for the reasons
You thought
Those were from the pain
Carried deep down inside
Of this torn heart of mine
All those I saw dying
In my arms or by my side
The tearing of their flesh
The breaking of their bones
The burning of their blood and flesh
But even more so the ringing
In my ears from all their cries
This is what it is like
And the kinds of pain
That is carried deep down inside
Where this torn Heart of mine lies
This is from who you get to see when
Those tears I will from time to time
Let flow from these eyes of mine
Not for the here and now
But for all those yesterdays
I had to let pass me by
At those places and times
That are long gone from this life of mine
But with the night's darkness
I once again go back with all
Those who I had taken life
To walk with those I knew
That had died at those times
They are all the pain
I will forever carry
With me inside my heart
That from those times
Has been torn apart
Like so many others who have taken
One of those walks
Into the fields of battle of war
Tears Of A Warrior
Starts
Written By
R.C.Keckler
10/06/06
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What For Soldier Was I
Looking back at those days and times
As best as this memory of mine
Could ever recall
It was the first real job I have ever
Started from beginning and seen to its end
What was it I have done as one
Nothing any more than any other one
In the eyes of me I had done less than others
THEN AS WELL AS NOW
To do honor to the word soldier
Along with the uniform we had worn
I would like to say I have honored them all
But in my heart I feel as not
I see what the others who have been
To those places that I once was
Done some of the things most have done more
Then any I have than or now have done
They to this day hold that same pride
That we all once had done
They still hold the love to once again be in uniform
With ribbons, pins, medals to wear on them
As for me I do not feel that any more
To me those are for those who gave their lives
So that we could come back home
I can only hope I could have done
With this life enough to honor one of those who are gone
Seeing that they are remembered for what was done
So that others like me could have come home
What is owed to them is more than I'll ever get paid
In the time in this life I have to live
For what just one of them had to give
This is what I have to live with each day
Just hoping that in the end some of it was paid
What For Soldier Was I
You decide
Written By
R.C.Keckler
06/04/09
This
is a poem from Loretta
written as an answer to the poem
What For Soldier Was I
written by Rod Keckler
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My
Soldier Who Questions
My
Soldier Who Questions
What For Was I
You Honor the burden placed in you
To protect, defend and yet carry the memories
Of those not returning with you
The Brothers, Your Brothers
That time, that place
In your heart there rests their face
Their fate.
Yet that medal
That medal is not new
Many Soldiers do carry that medal too
As their Hearts say
My Brothers I carry this medal in
Honor of You
My Soldier who questions
His day and his time
Of wearing the Uniform and serving his time
I know if you we lost had
Your brothers would be here too
Feeling your loss
Questioning too
What for and why did I
So now I say to you
In your heart they are placed
Only you and your other brothers too
Can place a face to the name
In the granite there carved
Only you and your brothers can tell
Their story
Silence not always Golden
I
see the shadows in your eyes
The haunting shadows of times long gone by
So know when I say Thank You
I Honor those you carry
In your heart
Knowing in your lifetime
You and they are
ONE
I do wish I could lift the weight
Of the burden in you
By reminding you
I have not forgot or forsaken
Those Fallen Brothers/ Sisters
Those who did not make it home with you.
Written
by:
Loretta
06/06/09
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Two Different
Two different sets of boots
Two different styles of rifles
Two different types of dog tags
Two different steel pots
Two different kinds of troops
Two different kinds of choppers
Two different Countries
Two different Wars
Too different in many ways
Too different but still feels the same
Too different with the price being paid in names
Too Many
Dog tags that hang
Written by
R. C. Keckler
02/15/08
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Old
Warrior
Just like
those before me in time
Now that I'm old I do understand
Those things I could not back then
When I was just a young man
Now here I set listening
To how things are over there
Hearing how many times they keep sending
Those young men and women over again
Just can't help but thinking
If they just let some of us old farts
Go back over there to do that one good thing
We all know how to do
As we were once long ago
I know there is not one of us who wouldn't
Be one of the first to go
Only this time with more honor in doing so
Than any of you could ever know
For this is the only way any of us
Old Warriors
Would want to go
Standing at the sides of our brothers in arms
Firing in the battlefield toe to toe
Out of a love for Country, flag, with honor
For the way in life we love
Once again in uniform
Our colors
But most of all
As Warriors
Written
by
R.C.Keckler
03/05/09
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There
Was A Time
Yes believe
it or not
I was once a man without anything inside
Of what was to be his heart
Emptiness was the only thing in there
Other than all of his hidden pain
Leaving him wanting to feel nothing
Inside ever again
Until one day and he was not really looking
Came along this one very special young lady
One that was a very special person
To have enough heart with love inside
Who believed enough to give her time
To try and heal this heart of mine
So much so that she touched this heart
Oh so very deep down inside
Enough to give to it some light
Giving back to me a reason for life
To be once again able to see what it was like
To feel once again and be loved inside
Opening not only my heart but my eyes
This my friends is what her love is like
It is a love that can give back
To this broken man his life
Something to always be looking for
Every morning that he rises
The reason to open his eyes
If for nothing more than
To be seeing her at his side
Yes my brothers and friends
There Was A Time
I had no meaning for a life
Written
By
R.C.Keckler
06/16/09
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Angels
Of Mercy
I would have
to bet that most of the guys
Thought when they first saw them they were
Angels of mercy....
For just have been blown all to hell and
Theirs being the first friendly faces to see
This is just a guess by me
But I do know they held those boys' lives in their hands
They saw them before any of the doctors
For it was their job to decide on just who
They could save and who they had to let die
Now as a woman put yourselves in their place
This goes against everything that was taught to you
But they only had seconds to decide
Then move onto the next one and do it all over again
Then when their time was done everyone
|Had forgotten that they were soldiers too
When most of them had gone through more then any of us
Have ever done or had to ever gone through
Imagine if you can, being a woman
To have gone through this
Then have to look into that face every day
Knowing what you had done
But you had to so others could survive
Or a lot more of them would have died
This is why you have to go on with your lives
For those that you keep alive
This is why I say they must have thought
That you were
Angels Of Mercy
Written
By
R.C.Keckler
06/23/04
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She
Sees Sunlight
She sees
sunlight on the darkest days
She sees hope when others see it fading away
She sees love when others feel pain
She sees a smile when others are crying away
She sees a good light no matter what others say
For what she sees is the light
In my life of pain
She Sees Sunlight
To show me the light of my ways
She sees enough in me
To make our life better in every way
You see, she is the only light in me
From all that she has given
Just to save the soul of me
She sees past the pains
To find the love inside to show me
How much better we can be
She sees the sunlight to brighten up my darkest days
She sees enough to have faith in me
She is the sunlight
To me
Written
By
R.C.Keckler
04/14/09
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That Walk
Quiet, not a word spoken, nothing but nature's
sounds
As I walked the sacred ground where my brothers that walked
beside me lie now
Names never spoken but at every cross their face was
found
As my footsteps took me through every row up and down
Not one cross was past that a face was not found
A sky so clear without a trace of a cloud
With only the sounds of footsteps in the grass and nature's
sounds
As I took that walk with the footsteps sound
With me passing through the sacred ground
Where my brothers that walked beside me lie now
That walk with those footsteps sounds
With a heavy heart that's beating out loud
At every cross passing, a tear would come down
For the moment, remember the face that was found
As I stand in the middle and look all around
At nothing but crosses in the ground
Remembering all the old faces that I have found
That walk that I took when no one but them were around
With nothing but those footsteps sounds
Of the grass bending as my foot came down
That walk at the end of town
The place where all the crosses are found
Written By
R.C.Keckler
9/19/03
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A
Soldier
In uniform
at the end of the battlefield
After it all has come to its end
This is what was seen as the sun started to set
One soldier who was kneeling into his rifle
Resting his head into his hand
Just as the smoke started to clear
Others sort of stop in their steps standing still
All at once a calm silence falls over the whole field
With everyone just listening to the words that were being
said
That seemed to go something like this
Lord please
let us come to understand some day
Why all of this had to come to be
The killing of others as well as my brothers and sisters in
arms
I know what they all have been telling me why it had to
be
From those who were here before us this day
That what we all have done won't ever go away
That with the passing of our days to come
We'll all be reliving this very day
So if you please try and do this for us all some day
Lord in some small way give us the strength
To be at peace with ourselves
To live a good life with others
Till the day you come to take us home
To walk with
you in heaven some day
Amen
Written
By
R.C.Keckler
01/06/06
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Remember
Dreaming
Just like
everything else in life
Only when you live to grow older
Would you ever
Start to understand
Why it has to
Be this way
For if you're lucky and young enough
To grow old in your life
You will then come to truly understand
Why it has to be this very way
The young are for dreaming
Leaving only the old to be remembering
What it was when they were young
How much of our lives we dreamed away
Letting us hold onto all those memories
Of what our lives held for us
Over those years gone by
With a lot of things we seen and done over time
To be our treasures to hold onto our memories
In those older years in our lives
Along with some of the joys it had given
As well as some of the sad times
Putting them all together to show
What ones life was when it was lived
Leaving us to look at each one of them
Remembering how it was, when we were them
Giving us a little smile or a grin
Of back when
Remember
Dreaming
Written
By
R.C.Keckler
06/24/09
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Foggy
Morning Light
From the
mist coming through
The bush in the night
Looking almost like the clouds
Dancing on the ground
As though what little light
Of darkness seen moving about
Shadows of many a thing seem to be
Moving from left to right
Nothing in sight seems to be what
It is at all from our eyes
Not being sure of
Who is who or what is what
Or what we should do wrong or right
We just seem to be sitting still and tight
Doing the best we can to be sure
There is any fire into the dark of night
Hoping and
we are so praying
That what we think we are seeing isn't right
Not wanting to shoot one of our own
Nor letting Charley know just where
We are out of the dark of light
Knowing that if we are wrong it would be
Costing some of our brothers' lives
So we are still sitting knowing
Just in a few moments |
All hell is going to be coming to life
Along with not knowing
What end is in sight
We are all
too afraid to even be thinking
About death this night
More so about living and
Keeping our brothers alive
Hoping like hell we all get to see
The sun's first light
But deep in our hearts we know some will
And others won't see that sight
Thinking of just how will we stay alive
Just one more night
That not
knowing will fade away
That moment we start to fight
After that first shot
Into the dark of night
No thinking will be taking place
Just our will to survive
To be here with our
Brothers at morning light
Just praying that they
Will still be at our side
This my
family and friends
Is just one of many nights
This is and was my
Brother's soldier's life
The days after we make light
Of something of those firefights
So we could
move on to another
One of those endless nights
Written
By
R.C.Keckler
05/29/09
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How
Do You See A Soldier
With those
words in mind
What is it that you first see
What picture comes into your mind
How is it that you see one
That kid playing football or baseball
How about that person selling you a new or used car
How about that person putting food on the store shelves
Maybe that one taking your money for your gas
Maybe just someone you met walking in the park
How about one of your children's teachers
Even those pastors from one of your home town churches
How is it that you can tell just who is one these days
When they are not in any uniforms
They stop talking or whatever they are doing
When they hear our National Anthem being played
Facing our countries flag each and ever time
It comes passing them by
Then they are the first ones to step up
When they see someone doing another harm
They're the first to take a stand
When others try to put our country down
How Do You See A
Soldier
By looking into a mirror for one
Or just by looking at those who are around you in your
town
They all could be and some of them have been
Others, they are just now
Any one of you could have been or has been one
Just pray that there is never a day
That we all have to be one
That my friends could really be a day of hell
Something to think about isn't it now
Written
By
R.C.Keckler
07/22/09
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To Let You
I have thought over this many a time
Just how could I ever find
Those words to show you
Just what it is going on in our minds
Now you all know and have read
Words written by this mind of mine
But still I just never have found those
That can speak what is in my mind
There is so much I like to show
To all of you just what it was really like
How it tasted, smelled, with just how they sounded
That ringing from the shells
Along with their screams and cries
Of all that was to be seen on those nights
All those things that from all of you we hide
So's not to scare everyone off for their lives
These are just some things as to what it is like
For us to try and be a part of your every day life
All of this we must try to always keep and hide
So we don't have to stay long in our life
To hope to have someone who would be there
Just to hold us on one of those nights
We walk back into those times gone by
Someone to tell us we'll be alright
Is this to much to ask out of this life
After all that was given by our brothers
In those days gone by
Maybe this stuff is to never come out of my mind
Thanks to all for your time
Written By
R.C.Keckler
04/28/09
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Changing Over Time
Back in my younger days
I knew it all and was cocky as hell
No one could tell me anything at all
After all I was badder then hell itself
Never took the time to listen to elder ones
That took their time and tried
To show and tell about this thing
That we all call life
So on my way pushing my way through
This thing we call life
Never really waiting to see
What was going on at the time
Just going as fast as I can
To get to the other side
Now as time in life has started going on by
I found myself in a uniform
With the US Army at the time
Still thinking I knew everything
I needed to know about
This thing we all call life
This is when things really started to change
As to the way I thought this thing called life
Was to be going at that place and time
The more I tried not to change
The harder things became in my life
But that is when I first started to truly understand
The true meaning about this thing called life
How it was not about just me
But how working with and doing things for others
As a team to be as one to make things right
Understanding that one by themselves
Never really changes how one is to survive
This is where the real change came to me in my life
A thing that they didn't at the time call War
But after it was over it was changed
Into the Vietnam War after a very long time
In the time I was in Vietnam two times
I finally learned what a brotherhood was like
No matter what War you have seen or been in
We were all like brothers for all of time
For we know what the freedom lived
Was along with its price
Changing Over Time
I now know what the elders were talking
about
For now I have lived long enough
Been through enough to see the changes over time
That one goes through over time in life
Not so cocky as I was at one time
Knowing more now than when
It was my younger times
But more to having a better
Understanding as to why
Those elders tried to tell me once
A long, long time ago
Hoping that just maybe
I would take some of my time
To hear what they were saying
About how things work in ones life
Now can't you see
That the elder now is me
Trying to tell the younger ones why
They need to take some time
To have a better understanding about
That thing we call life
Written By
R.C.Keckler
06/11/09
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Hearing Their Words
In each one of my brothers
That has written or talked with me
I can hear the pain in their voices as they speak
Feel the slices they cut into our hearts
That makes each one of them bleed
Hear the fear in them that they may be getting weak
Hope that there is some magic out there
That will help each one them find some peace
Make those places along with those faces
Go easier on them so they may get to really sleep
Know there is nothing I can really do for them
Other than to be here for each one of them
For every moment that they ever need me
If for nothing more than to hear those words
That they need to speak
Knowing what it is they are going through
For there was a time it was I standing there
Saying those very same words they each speak
Knowing that they too can get through this
Just as was done by the help from others
Who were there for those times with me
Only now it's another kind of hurt inside of me
Standing here seeing them go through those same things
You know like watching your child getting ready
To leave home that very first time living on their own
Knowing that all you can do is sit back to be there
For when they really need you to be
As for now all I can do
Hearing Their Words
Is listen
Written By
R.C.Keckler
07/15/09
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To Stand By
I find it so very hard for me just
To Stand By
Seeing a few of my close brothers
Fighting so hard to make it by
Just another day in their lives
Not knowing if they'll get to see
The end of their day light
Before they are facing another endless night
Hoping and praying that they make it
Without flying off one more time not knowing just why
With them wanting ever so badly
To be able to let their loved ones know
It not them their mad at any of those times
It's at themselves, each and every time
But how can you tell them
They can make it through
Those days of hell
But tell them they will never be gone
They'll still have them everyday of their lives
Along with those endless nights
But if someone like me can get through this
Then I know so will my brothers for life
But it shall never be easy for a day in their lives
Each one of them they have to fight
To see another day gone by
Just hoping that in knowing
Their brother is forever standing by
To hold them if needed, to make it through one more time
As my brothers have done for me in my life
With another day to be thanking
Those who love us
Standing by
Written By
R.C.Keckler
08/22/09
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The Names That Shine
Days turn into years gone by
Leaving fewer and fewer of us behind
To be remembering those and why
Time comes to be hard at times
But we who are still left
Most still stand to tell others
The who and why
They aren't to be here
With us and we still are
To see they are remembered
For our life and times
To be of some honor
For their lives given
To be saving ours
Till it comes to be our time
Know not one day goes by
They are not in our hearts
With lots of love for them inside
With us giving to them thanks
For each day we have
To be living in this life
Hoping and praying
Someday we be by their sides
Brothers forever
Brothers for life
Forever to be carried with us inside
A brother's love
That could never die
Written By
R.C.Keckler
08/21/09
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Sounds Like
I always do something
Or I'm saying something
To do whatever to drive others away
Don't really want to let anyone get close
To me in any way because I'm just so afraid
They just might get to see the real me
Or come to know who I am
What I am really like in real life
Then there is that, I may get to know them as well
Don't want to know them or be close to any of them
Don't need to be any more hurting
Because I took that time to get to know any of them
I have enough pain inside of me
Don't be needing to take on anymore you see
I have been carrying those who have
Well over some 30 add years ago
Don't think I could take carrying any more
Do any of you out there remember these feeling at all
What it was like when the new man came in
To answer the call for those we lost
How hard we made it on them
Try to keep them from getting to close
So it wouldn't hurt us as much when they were to fall
Seeing it in their eyes as to saying, what did I do so
wrong
With them not truly coming to understand
It was just the way things had to be
When you're out there in war without any seen walls
Other then keeping everyone afar
So that we each could get through
Another day doing our jobs
And that my friends and brothers
Says it all
As to what is wrong
Written By
R.C.Keckler
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Laugh For Me
I see the tracers fling through the nights sky
Looking almost like back home fireflies
Hearing the thump from their mortar tubs
Seeing the flash than comes the boom
Feel the blast going through my head
Taking some of us off our feet
As the shrapnel goes zinging by
Every now and then hearing
The tap when some would hit
As the others go passed our heads
Fire was to fly back and forth
Ever so slowly moving ourselves forward more
Doing the best that anyone can
To keep our asses and heads in there place
Hoping and praying like hell if we can
To just make it through this shit once again
Then when it seemed none of this is going to end
Everything starts to settle down again
Ever so slowly we move about
Looking around to see what was still to be found
That when we really see
Just how bad things had really been
Who was hurt and who went down
That is when we had found
Our brothers and our best friends
Lying about screaming please
Somebody help us now
Others just sitting there wide open eyes
Without any life to be found
So wont you brother let me hear you now
Laugh For Me
Please let me hear you loud
Just once more your voice talking now
I need that more then ever
Right now
Written By
R.C.Keckler
07/24/09
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A Brother Cries
Yes it's hard for you to understand
Yes and I'd never ask to try
I'd just like for you to know why
Hearing those words said
By you just the other night
Seeing all that pain inside your eyes
Hearing the crackling in your voice
As you're trying so very hard just to speak
Not wanting to let any of this be seen
Doing your damndest to hide this all inside
So that none of the others ever find
Out about all your pain
You have been carrying most of your life
How bad you just wanted others to be thinking it's
alright
I my brother can't help it but to stand here and cry
For I feel all your pain that you try to hide
I know that you can't find it for yourself
To let any of your tears fall outside
I can't ask you to understand, but that is alright
I do, so for you these tears fall from my eyes
Letting go of some of that pain you feel deep inside
Only your tears are falling from my eyes
A Brother Cries
For all those that have come to fall
inside
Giving to you some more room to carry more inside
This is what your brother can do for you this time
Knowing from being there at one time in his life
Just how damn hard it can be to let them fall outside
But knowing that there is going to come a time
In your very life you're going to understand why
I can for you this time
A brother's love is this fine
Written By
R.C.Keckler
08/31/09
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It Breaks
This old man ever time he gets to see
Into those eyes of our troops coming home
That far away look and the death inside
With that hate they try to hide
Knowing that I was just like him in his times
When after the time spent in the hell of mankind
Here he stands looking into each and every one of them
As they go passing him by not wanting to
Know they don't want to hear anything
From him at this time
About what they are in for over time
Leaving him wanting ever so badly
Just to have that chance to try to
Get one of them to give him
That little bit of time
With him praying that maybe
Just maybe this time one of them
Would be so kind to give him
Their time and try to understand
What it is their lives are going to be like and why
That no matter what or how hard they try
Nothing in this world could take away
For any of them that pain inside
Him just wanting ever so bad
To reach just maybe one of them
To open their eyes how bad he needs them
To help him open that door they closed behind
With him knowing that once they do
He'll be welcome inside
Letting him be that hand
To be helping them on their way inside
To be facing their days to come in life
And when it doesn't happen
It Breaks
This old man every time
Written By
R.C.Keckler
09/29/09
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Daddy Cried
I remember way back when I was just a kid
Walking through some stores with him
And being a kid I'd always be watching
Everything that he did so I'd know
What to do like every kid would do
Then we'd be sitting there waiting for mom to
Get done with whatever she was doing
People would go walking by saying things
I know he didn't like to hear being said
As I watched him he'd just look at them
With that look in his eye you know the one
Shake his head then watch them go on by
Then he'd see others doing things that were just wrong
You could see the anger in his eyes
As they would go on by
He'd just tilt his head and grit his teeth
Wanting to but didn't say anything
Then I'd hear others talking about when
They went to War in their days
I would look at my dad and he said nothing
I remember a few times I would ask him
What it was that he did when he was in
He would turn to me with a look
I know not to ask that again
Then there were a few times we'd be out and about
Like this one time we went to the grocery store
For just a few things for at home
There was this very old lady in line behind us
We looked at her and I didn't think too much of it
Just thought it was kind of funny
To see her with so much cat food and nothing else
Dad called this young man over and said something to him
Low enough that no one else could hear
Then the same young man came back
With this cart full of good food
As my dad fooled around holding up this line
The young man went and opened up another line
Ran the food through and bagged it all up
Then dad paid for that and ours
Moved on out of line, went outside
As the very old lady went about getting her cat food
That same young man started bagging hers
Then when she was paying for her stuff
He changed carts with hers, turned
To look out at dad, winked and smiled
Told her to have a great day and goodbye
As we started to leave I asked dad why
He did that for her, won't her cats be hungry?
That was when he told me this
Son when you see some one you know
Is on hard times or low income
Like that old lady was
Because when he looked at her cart
She only had cat food and nothing else for any cats
He knew it wasn't for any cats it was all she could buy
That was why he had the young man do that in the other
line
Then changed the cart so she would never know
Who or why and she could still keep her pride
He told the young man if she ever asked how come
That young man was to tell her
Because it was the time for giving
That this gift was for her to enjoy
That was why
Then there was a few times
We'd be out somewhere eating and
He would always be watching everyone around
Then every now and then he'd call the young lady over
Who was taking care of the people at the tables
She'd lean over, he'd say something to her,
Look over at one of the other tables
She'd turn looking over at the same table
Then just smile placing a peace of paper down
Dad would wink and smile back and say thank you
We would get up pay and leave again
I would ask him why them and not someone else
He told me to always watch people as they come and go by
What and how they get something along with
What they look at what they got to pay for on hand
Or if you had seen them before counting how much they
have
Remember who they were and what they looked like
But always son remember this first
Make sure your not taking anything from your own family
Should you do these things for others
Remember that my son remember that
I told him I would remember that
There was this one day we got this call on the
phone
Mom started to cry right way and handed the phone to my
dad
Heard him say yes sir we'll be right there
So we got everything together and off we go
To where I did not know or why we were going
Here we pulled into the airport walked through the door
There was all of our family most everyone was crying
I still didn't understand what for or why
Then there was this young soldier in blues
Come walking over to us all
With this box with our flag covered over it
He told us who he was with what an honor it was
To accompany my dads younger brother
Back home to us all
I was wondering where he was then at that moment
I realized just what it was we were here for
Then I too started to cry
That was the very first time I ever seen
Daddy Cry
That day will be forever in my mind
As I come to truly understand
All the what's and whys
Daddy never talked about what War was like
After seeing all that pain in my daddy's eyes
Along with those tears on that day he cried
Heartbreaking as that day was for us all
That was the day I started to grow up
So now my family and friends
You all now know how that came to be
For others and me to get to see
Daddy's tears fall away
For the feeling of loss of a part of him
That day the soldier brought my daddy's brother home
To be placed in his final resting place
Us with the loss of him with forever lasting peace
Amen
Written By
R.C.Keckler
11/28/09
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To Find Me
Once again I have come to find myself standing
in
The middle of another honored ground
Looking at all the crosses
Reading some of their names
Seeing from where and what was their times
Here I am once again there standing
Looking all about seeing what is all around
The tall carved pieces of stone
In honor of those who could not walk home
Others who carried those back home with in them
Forever in their heart till they too got their own stone
A place of rest and peace at last of their very own
No more hurting, no more pain
Just this place with their very stone
Now and forever walking with their brothers
Up in the heavens above with their angels and God
Never to feel fear or pain again
Just love with peace in the end
Holding on till we all are walking with them
To Find Me
Looking for that peace I seek
To hold me till I go to sleep
For I'm just a lost soul inside of me
Till that day whatever it truly is finds me
I'll forever be walking those honored grounds like these
Speaking and looking at brothers
Who now lie in peace
Amen to them
For those in my heart
I now set free
Written By
R.C.Keckler
12/09/09
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Tears Run Dry
What are we to do
After all our tears have run through
Cried all of them we had to
Not having any more inside to go through
Please can't any of you tell us
What it is we are to do
It seems that we've been hurting
Just about every day over someone
That we were very close to
Just about the time we think we got it
There comes another one
Who is gone away from us
That we loved and knew
It feels like we can't be hurting any more
Then what we already do
We have cried so many tears
Have felt the hurt and loss
Along with the emptiness
Deep down inside
Till we think there is nothing left to do
Leaving us not knowing
Just how we are going to
Be making it through
After all of our
Tears Run Dry
Written By
R.C.Keckler
12/07/09
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Flowers Along The Road
There is one thing most of us will get to do
Either take that ride in or
Drive along behind on one
That road with flowers along on its side
Never will we be alone
We'll always be with family and friends
Either being led or laying one to rest
Saying how good a family or friend they were
Telling others how they have touched our lives
Or hoping that others were touched
By being a part of ours
Either way how they would be missed
Now that they are gone
Leaving only us to tell them
Or talk to them in our minds
About all of those good times
Thanking them for all those memories
We have to hold on to
Of who they were in life
Now that theirs is gone
Leaving us all wanting to
Just one more time
Have them to hold in our arms
Another memory to be holding on to
Now that they have finally gone
Always holding them with love in our hearts
Moving on along that place with
Flowers Along The Road
Back home
Written By
R.C.Keckler
12/07/09
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A Little Story
It's not true but it could very well be
It starts something like this you see
There was this young mother and father
Who had a son that they loved very much
As most all mothers and fathers do
Things were going pretty much
Like everyone else, life goes on
Then one day not to long ago
Their son became ill
So like any one would do
Took him to see if the Docs could
Find out what was wrong
That's when they got the bad news
Like so many others they were hoping and praying
That it was wrong or there was something that they could
do
But as life would have it there was nothing anyone could
do
So as others have before them asked God why
What had their son done
But in their hearts they know its not
God to blame, it's just the way of this life
It is what it is and sometimes
One just has to do what you have to do
To make things for him the best that they can
So from that day on both of them spent as much
time
Doing the things their little man wanted
Taking him to the places he wanted to see
Giving him as many of them they could
Telling him how much they loved him each and every day
Holding him as long as they could so he knew
They would always love him
From the gift he was to those two
As the days passed on by there was less and less
That he could get to do
As the days became harder for him
The more he told them
How happy they made him feel
How worried he was about them
When his time here was through
He was so worried about how they'd be
For from his heart he told them
How much he was sorry for the hurt
He was putting them through
Asking them if there was anything he could do
Funny isn't it how things turn
From them caring for him
To him caring for them more
How they would deal with it
Not wanting to be hurting them
As he could in their eyes
Every time he looked into them
When they came into his room
Now he is telling them how much he loved them too
Then one day they were sitting by his bed
There wasn't much talking but a little
Then out of the blue
He turns to them and said
Please don't you worry
No more pain will we be going through
For Gods angels are standing beside both of you
To hold you till Gods angels have taken
Me on through this world to heaven
To be there when your times are done
And Gods angels said to
Tell you HE loves both of you
Written By
R.C.Keckler
12/10/09
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Angels Sing For You
Here not too far away
You'll be hearing them
As they are on their way
To bring you home
No longer will you
Be having any fear
Nor will you be
Feeling any more pain
Lost or lonely
Any more in this world
Angels Sing For
You your song
But before that time
Is here for you
Just want for you
To forever know
Dad
I LOVE YOU SO
Only because it's
Important to me
That you truly do know
From the bottom of my soul
With all my heart could ever hold
Before the
Angels Sing For
You
Written By
R.C.Keckler
01/10/10
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Her Lips
They whisper I love you ever so softly
Just loud enough so that they were heard
With a warm soft breath touching the neck of me
As I slowly turn to face her with a smile
Taking my time to moisten these lips of mine
To taste the sweetness of her kiss
As she is tasting mine
She brings such great warmth deep inside
Leaving me wanting to hold that for all life's time
Never to be letting that feeling go
But you can't believe what love I see
Each and every time I'm looking into her eyes
She has got a sparkle ever so bright
Showing the world her love for life
That goodness from within her heart
Not just going out to me but others as well
She sees goodness in others in life
That many cannot ever see
Thinking more for the better of others
Always ready to be that lending hand
Greatest love for every living child
So much so that she becomes one as well
To be at the level as they are herself
To see things in their world so well
That all just falls in love with her as we all do
She is not just the love of my life
But she is my world as well
Her Lips
Tell it all, my love, my wife
Written By
R.C.Keckler
12/23/09
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I Know Its Going To
Come
Not too long from now the wife is going to be asking
me
What it is I did in the Army during my time in there
I really don't know what to tell her
I have asked myself that question many a time
Still I haven't found that answer to what I did
All I ever did was what was told of me
No matter what the job how big or how small
I was nothing more than a Soldier like everyone else
Nothing more nothing less, Soldier first, job after that was
done
Why was I in there it seemed the thing to do at that
time
Back here at home everything was going a part
I was going nowhere and fast
So with no money or way to get away
The Army became my ride from bad times
Though there were some very hard times in there
That I shall carry for all my life
I would not change a thing
For I do believe it made the man you all now see
From things done and those things seen
Along with all those brothers who made
Their lives a part of the life in me
A love deeper then anyone could ever believe
They have given to me strength, faith, with a lot of
heart
To see things get done that are needed of me
When before those times in my life
That these days I have had to face
I don't believe I could have ever done what was needed of
me
To stand where it was needed
To speak when it was needed
To be the arms to hold them when they needed
Or just a hand to once again stand upon their own two
feet
In these times I can be the warmth in their hearts
When their pains are way too deep
Maybe just the person to hear their words
They have a need to speak
That someone to walk with them
On their last path they will take
To the heavens angles come to take them away
From both you and me
I can be these things that are needed of me
But not if I have lived through those times
All of those places I have been
As through out my time in the
US Army
09/08/1967
08/23/1970
Just A Soldier
In Me
Written By
R.C.Keckler
12/14/09
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Most Call Her Sister
Though most of us never met her in person
We all feel as though we know her heart and soul
She finds in us who have served an outlet
For her personal pains deep inside
That she knows she needs to be
Letting some of them go
But like most of us there are still those
She will forever hold
Inside of her heart and soul
Till comes her time here to go
She is a woman who takes in those
That others want or have no one
Out there of their own
Some call her mother, others grandmother
Though they are not of her blood
She loves them just as must if not more
Gives to them one and all
Her heart along with her soul
Hoping to be to them that someone
That they can have to talk to or just hold
Then there are those like me
Who have written those words
That could touch her soul
Given to another way to go
To show others how to be letting
The world out there know
What others have done
For them to live that life they know
Who had paid the price to do so
What their names were
So others know and they can be heard
These are the things in her heart
That keeps her up and still on the go
Knowing there our others out there
That feel as much about seeing that it is so
That those who name some of us
CAN'T SPEAK ALOUD
Still are heard and known
She gives to family, brothers, and sisters,
Along with others she doesn't know
Freely from her heart and always her soul
She believes in this that much
That we all who have been touched by her
In our hearts we do know
She needs to know others like us
Are out there to be her voice
To forever be heard
I can't speak for others
But for me she has given life
To a lot of my words I have wrote
With the way she does her shows
Touched not just me but many others
This much I can truly say I do know
Her shows with my words
Have tears coming from my eyes
From my heart to my soul
This is how much life
Comes from words written
When she does them in her shows
Who is she do you say
You'd really like to know
The lady that has a love
That has touched so many souls
From all over this world we call home
Her name is
Mother
Grandma
Sister
To me Maya
In life she goes by
Loretta Riddell
Forever sister to all
A true lady in every way
Loving mother
True sister
Loving wife
With a heart as big as the world
Could ever hold
Though we never meet face to face
In this lifetime we now live
I for one feel as though we've been
Together for all my time in this world
Meant to be together in this life of ours
I would like to put in her own words
What are her reasons why and how
We and others came about
But that is going to be her call
As for this is my way
To show her and the world
How much she truly cares for
All those who have been or are in uniform
Of this country of ours
Her way of giving something back
Along with seeing all those
Who have given their all
For this freedom of ours
Are forever remembered
Long after we are gone
But most of all
She will forever be
Forever Sister
To us one and all
With always an open-door
For us to walk in or just call
She'll always be there for us to talk
For we are all her children
With her place always to call home
To my one and only Maya
Lori to some
Written By
R.C.Keckler
01/04/10
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We Had The Light
A little too slow
A little too late
For that brother of ours
To have to hold and see
Saddened by that are we
To have not known
Just how bad was he
In need of what we had
To be given for him to get to see
Saddened was a lot of others
Not just us you see
For being too late to have
Given this to him
When he was in so much in need
We Had The Light
For him to be seen
Only a day too late, were we
For now he knows what we had
For him to see
But not soon enough you see
We lost that moment
That we all really needed
Never to be given back
That time gone you see
For both him and us indeed
Written By
R.C.Keckler
01/22/10
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Don't Have Nothing
But this here bag and the clothes on my back
Maybe a few bucks in my pocket
These old worn out boots on my feet
Holes in my jeans, shirt along with
This old field jacket from so long ago
Here I am walking down my countries
Highways and back roads
To where, who the hell knows
What I am I looking for
Just some place where they
The world's people would let me alone
Just to be off by myself not to be
Bothered by anyone at all
That is the only thing I ask from
Those people of our world
Most of them can see me
But all of you prefer not to
Because you're afraid I just may ask you
For something so you just move yourselves on
This is fine with me don't you know
But others of you are so afraid of me
You call your police to make
Me move on my way
When all I am trying to do
Is find me a place to stay
Out of all of your way
The only thing in life I want
All of you keep taking it away
Left alone and a place to stay
I do my best not to be seen
I ask of you nothing but
Just this one little thing
Now thanks to all of you I
Don't Have Nothing
When my Country asked me
Would you go off to others
Then fight for us to keep us free
I didn't ask of it anything
I went and done what it had asked of me
Now why can't it just leave me be
I work for food and other things that I need
I'm not asking for handouts or anything free
Other than everyone just let me be
So that I can go somewhere to die in peace
Holding only those memories
Of all that is important to me
This is all in my life I ever wanted or needed
Now can you people let it be
I long to be with those brothers who I truly need
The one place in this world I belong you see
Just my brothers and me with our memories
For in death we now have found our peace
This is the choice that is made by me
You all can see only what your eyes can see
But none of you could ever see the heart of me
Don't Have Nothing
But what's in my mind you can't see
Written By
R.C.Keckler
12/18/09
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Shadow Of The Flag
Don't really know how this came to me
But it did and it goes something like this
At times I find myself thinking
About other things in life
Some maybe meaningful, others maybe not
But either way this is in my mind
What would you say
If I were to tell you just how to find
All of those old warriors
At any given time
The one place most people would never think of
Or even dream of looking for them
And yet it is the first place we always put them
Every time we ever say goodbye to one
Is after we cover one up in it
Then fold them so their stars always show
Is the only place they could ever be
What they lived and give their lives for
Lost limbs and bled onto the battlefields over
What was to never fall or touch the ground
All one has to do is believe enough
Then they all can be seen there in the
Shadow Of The Flag
They live to see it fly
They died to keep it there and free
It stands for all we believe
To be the land of the free
One Nation under GOD
For all of those who believe
Written By
R.C.Keckler
09/30/09
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Memory Of A Son
When he first came into this world
His mother and I were so happy
He and our other children
We watched them grow as time would go
Then our one son came home
Telling us of where he wanted to go
Leaving us so proud
To see our son become
One of our countries soldiers
All was going along just fine
Till he came home that last time
He said he was going off to War
We said those things a parent
Would tell any of their children
Then that was the last time we ever saw him
To this very day we still know nothing
Only that he had gone missing
Not knowing if he was a POW
Just that he is MIA till this very day
All of those years gone by
Gone along with my wife
Now it's just my children and I
All but that one loving son
Who a long time ago went gone
Leaving our family a
Memory Of A Son
Who went to War and never came home
A memory is all we have to hold
We miss and love him so
Written By
R.C.Keckler
03/07/10
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