I dreamed a dream of fantasy filled with love and joy,

The dream of a lifetime that came when I was but a boy,

Entry into my mind was gained by an angel of a dream,

I had seen this angel in past dreams, to me it did seem,

So distant in my life are these unforgotten dreams past,

Still I remember details of this angel that will forever last,

Beautiful she was with flowing hair of heavenly essence,

I remember how blessed I felt to be in her stunning presence,

A few years later I felt wonderful when we joined as one,

The misery of war had gone by, my time warring was done,

Nightmares haunted my being to become ragged and worn,

Unknown to my glowing angel a darkness had been born,

Thoughts of departure haunted my soul to be here no more,

Haunted by ringing sounds of my weapon raising the score,

Brothers unable to wake, could one have been saved by me,

Un-welcomed coming home, what happened to my country?

And somehow this angel saved me from napalm’s fire dream,

Funerals of those that died on foreign soul made me scream,

In the darkness of my mind Vietnam’s war raged evermore,

Tender kisses at sunrise woke me to heaven as once before,

Time’s rapid passage was beyond the stretched memories,

I had five years of nightmares given by war across the seas,

She has been with me in my heart, my soul, and all my mind,

When weakened and teardrops fell she was tender and kind,

Hurdles were often trumped by her love flowing fully inside,

Yet sometimes I feel the lonesome for her back when I cried,

Old memories triggered by PTSD and sometimes a parallel,

To be comforted by memories of holding her and her smell,

When the years rolled by delivering me into pain’s domain,

Forever staying at my bedside touching me as I endure pain,

In my absence taught our children love should last a lifetime,

Although I deserve none I took some credit though not mine,

In so many worlds I’ve endured such pain it seems to be a lie,

One hundred twenty five times under the knife made her cry,

Sometimes on waking angels in white stood around my bed,

One distinct and beautiful angel would come into my head,

I’ve seen her for half a century upon waking to change it all,

No matter my condition, even non-standing I felt so very tall,

Unable to walk I would fly like an eagle and soar high above,

I realize I am but a poor man, but filled with her love I can fly,

As skies fill with sunbeams to bid this worn man farewell,

Know I’ve lived in heaven and overcame war’s pain as well,

I’ve slept with an angel and held her in my arms every night,

I love her, for this she gave me a lifetime of heaven’s delight.

The end. For Patti whom I will love forevermore. By Pat

April 30, 2020