FOR JACK
FOR JACK
He sets in the entryway, the sign above reads Sears
The windows have been boarded; it has been closed for years
They moved out to the mall, when the neighborhood went down
Not many venture out to businesses downtown
On my way to work, I see him setting there
His chair some folded cardboard, with shabby clothes to wear
A Starbucks just across the street, A KFC just left
So many closed their doors, from robbery and theft
He wears an old blue cap, the words have faded out
It’s from some branch of the service, of that I have no doubt
I stop nearby each morning, for my Mocha Light
The prices here at Starbucks, have gone clear out of sight
I reach into my pocket, as I walk by that man
And drop a few coins into his Folger’s coffee can
He writes a few words on a pad, he hasn’t spoken yet
Just, God Bless you mister, thank you from a Vet
I couldn’t help but notice, his toes stuck through his socks
Behind him in the corner was a Roi-Tan cigar box
On the box a name plate, the letters etched in gold
It simply just spelled Jack, a story never told
The lid was torn on the box as he took it in his hand
It was held together by a yellow rubber band
What did he keep in there, what was it that he’d hide
It had to be quite special, cause it was always by his side
One morning as I left for work, I had some time to kill
My wife gave me a package to drop off at Goodwill
Inside I noticed she put in a coat that had got to small
I thought about old Jack, he had no coat at all
I skipped my morning coffee, went to a breakfast bar
Got biscuits, eggs and gravy and put them in the car
Jack’s eyes lit up like diamonds, when I handed him the coat
When he saw the morning breakfast, on his pad he wrote
I thank you, kind mister, God Bless you today
I saw the tears fall from his eyes as I walked away
From that day forth I went without my Mocha Light
Four bucks spent on coffee, somehow did not seem right
My wife fixed something extra to put in my lunch sack
She knew that I would stop and give part of it to Jack
Although he could not talk, we became fast friends
I never could imagine how this story ends
One morning as I drove by, Jack was missing from his door
I learned he had been robbed by thugs, just the night before
The EMT’s had picked him up and rushed him on his way
To the nearest hospital was what I heard them say
The emergency room was crowded as I walked in the door
The nurse said Jack was taken to the bottom floor
My heart was full of sorry as I took those words in stride
For I knew that was where they took the ones that died
The undertaker promised to give old Jack a shave
I swore he wouldn’t go into a pauper’s grave
He’d wrote on his pad, since he couldn’t talk
That I was to have, his old worn cigar box
My hand began to tremble as I took the box in hand
I carefully held it as I removed the rubber band
A lump came in my throat as I thought about this loss
For nestled there inside it, was the Navy Cross
A picture of a pretty girl in a wedding dress
Two little kids were pictured as I looked through the rest
The inscription on the picture made me feel so sad
For in a child’s writing, it said, With Love, to Dad
I never could find out about his family
For nowhere in that box was there a name to see
I think of Jack and feel so bad that he died alone
So every Veterans Day, I put a poppy on his stone.
God Bless all of our veterans
Jerry Pfaffly
April 1, 2015
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I believe veterans deserve special recognition for their service to this country. Having served my time in the Navy I made the veteran in the poem a Navy man.
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