Enjoy the Life You’ve Been Given, by Samuel Moody

The aroma of hotdogs at a baseball game

Tipping your hat to the neighbors across your yard

Going to Church on Sunday

Playing baseball on a hot summer day

Enjoy the life you’ve been given

An eager girl walks home from school

She finds three unfamiliar cars in the driveway

All black

With American flags in the front

She goes inside concerned of her mother

Six unusual faces fill the room

All dressed in black uniforms and tall white hats

They handed the mother a flag as she broke down crying

The little girl did not quite understand

It took a picture of her father being handed to her mother

As if a lightbulb had gone off in her head springing her mind to life

Dad was not coming home

This was unfair

This was untrue

For her father promised her he would be back for the girl’s first soccer game

He never lied

A hero they called him

The girl did not understand

So we can go to Church Sunday

So we can speak when we please

So we can have love who we want

So we can enjoy the life we’ve been give

Men like your father give that life to us

It is a powerful thing

Though heavy in price

As life is priceless

So my child enjoy the life you’ve been given

And never forget

Those who make it possible

Samuel Moody, Mrs. McDonald Block 1.