The Soldier's Sleeping Beauty (a poem)

The Soldier's Sleeping Beauty

There was once a girl,
There was once a lad
She was his whole world
She loved him with everything she had

She counted every kiss
That he planted on her sweet lips
And when he was gone
Oh how she would miss
His careful touch
On her skin that she loved so much
The way he'd brush back her hair
And how into her eyes he'd stare

Saying farewell was the worst for him
When the bus came to take him away again
The flood of tears in her eyes
As he held her tight and whispered goodbye
He'd kiss her so deep
And cling to the memory as he lay up late in his bunk
Holding her picture as he quietly weeped

He came home
They found a pretty house
Made it their own
They loved each other like there was no tomorrow
Trying to ignore the sorrow
Of the future inevitable
Trying to start their life together
It wasn't until when
He had gone again
That she knew of the life inside her

Of the news he was thrilled
And ever night he willed
For the days he spent away
To go by fast
Dreaming of the day when at last
He could come home
And kiss his one and only
To feel the promising swell of her belly

But his letters stopped coming
And she spent her days wondering
Her hands over her swollen abdomen
Staring out the window at the trees and birds
Until one day when
A black car came and the driver told her the words
She had know deep inside
But had been trying to deny

She collapsed to the floor at his feet
Fell into a deep sleep
He took her to the hospital
From her they took the baby girl
But nothing the doctor could do
Would take away the pain
In her fluttering heart
The little girl would go on to start
Her life without Mom nor Dad
Mom would spend the days in bed
Seemingly dead
Her lips waiting for the day
Her soldier would come home
And kiss her to bring her awake