Time frame October to November of 1969.
Some verses are taken from a poem I wrote in 1969, “The Walk I Took.”
No one picked me up at the airport upon my discharge.  A fifty mile walk.

Paper Roses (The Walk I Took)

In the darkness of the night I imagined holding you tight,

Perhaps an angel or true an old man took me from the fight,

Free at last but with silent wonder if you were still in love,

I promise you beautiful angel you’re all I have dreamed of,

Since the draft notice came you have been on my mind,

A sudden fear is that I’d return in a box or worse be blind,

Your beauty is so overwhelming that breath seems gone,

My heart has yearned so for you, pray have you moved on?

Never set me free or my heart will be one of the forgots,

Each reflection and every prayer had you in my thoughts

Dance with me please in the darkness of night on the road,

If only you will, it will help unburden me of this heavy load,

Every sweetness in my heart is yours forevermore and a day,

True love is like a paper rose so beautiful to never wilt away,

I hope some day there is an announcement of King and Napier*,

So wonderful it would be to see our names in our local paper,

I have failures that captured the freedom of my battered mind,

For America I survived so much and did things of nightmare kind,

Upon a sea of dreams I found way across icebergs and much more,

Icebergs are but obstacles left floating from battles of days before,

Thank God for memories of your delicate little hand touching me,

I’m in a gutter I confess and it’s not of the normal type you see,

For the wire brush** damage is gone by rectal surgery and more,

Shock therapy with stick in mouth took some memories of before,

“I need you, walk with me”*** I remember kissing at your door,

“I need you,” James Brown sang to me but at your door as before,

Look at me, I beg, do I still have all my limbs and is my mind okay,

I have been told I’m a stalker is that how you feel now, each day?

I carried your photo near my heart and held it so tight at night,

‘The bombs bursting in air and rockets red glare’ is a bad fright,

Words that sound so wonderful until experienced first hand,

By draft board letter two years ago I was forced to make a stand,

Damaged limbs and beaten torso along with tortured mind,

Brought months in a hospital bed as psychiatrist had a find,

To carry a girl’s image faithfully without word for a year or more,

Brought words of disbelief from doctors asking me what for,

My faith in you sounded insane as they listened with disbelief,

“How could you do that?” they said, “your mind needs relief,”

They shocked my mind and called me a stalker of mental kind,

Telling me my love for you is unhealthy and the fantasy kind,

My heart broke as I cried in the doctor’s chair to think I’m insane,

Shock therapy for wrongs done to me left some of love’s flame,

During shock therapy somehow I spoke of you and your age,

They declared to leave this place I’m still stalker at this stage,

It seemed so odd they’d concentrate on love instead of war,

Let’s address my state from being sodomized and even more,

Or the pain I endured as I struggled upon the rack of torture,

Yet they dwell upon the girl of my dreams that is my future,

I’ve wondered then at times did you turn me in to stay away,

They’ve got me pegged no doubt, I’m going to come your way,

Some day I will when my head survives and I push the war away,

It’s not you I want gone in any way, I want every memory to stay,

I’m sure these men of well meaning heart have not even a clue,

They hang their degree and make analysis of what pain can do,

Mental and physical pain are awful but mental is a long time cure,

I doubt those shrinks go beyond books to a battlefield to be sure,

But I played their game yet I limped to their office to be healed,

There is so much physical damage done out on the battlefield,

Yet the military is stocked with shrinks so I guess it must be true,

Our body heals as our mind grows weak but I survived by you,

If not for my mental state I’d have gone home a month ago today,

Didn’t they understand it was the abuse that made my mind stray?

And my tether to you through space and time gave me will to live,

But mind and body healed quickly when I decided I must forgive,

I walked home tonight to nearly Panhandle*^ town before an angel came,

Now that I think of it with alert mind it seems the old man knew our name,

As I explained my service with shame he held my chin up and praised me,

I cried so hard in the angel’s hand that my tears made it hard for me to see,

The last kindness of touch came from a minister in a foreign cell,

Deep in the bowels of Mother Earth I felt to be somewhere near hell,

I’m so far from that place now yet it was only three months and a day,

No deeper could I fall as American sputum and disdain is on me to stay,

I saw you last within that cell as my battered mind found you there,

Or did you journey spiritually or astral to bring me love and care,

So weak of mind I welcomed the next strike to see you unconsciously,

And tonight this kind man or do I say angel has given a ride to me,  

Magic of our love took place that night as I fell into a deep sleep,

I danced with you in dreams so nice I have them memorized to keep,

Unknown to you I carried stolen photographs of you numbering two,

The last time home I stole*^^ another picture that’s beautiful of you,

My ride said he’d carry me part way before we prayed and shared,

His words of kindness and assurance were heavenly if compared,

Within the military ranks most sleep comes from liqueur and beers,

After he held my chin I’d sleep peacefully for the first time in years,

Telling me he knew the way as I slipped into dreams of love’s wonder,

We danced in a field surrounded by paper roses during my slumber,

Your face so beautiful and radiant as if a heavenly light shone through,

I said “My little angel of Texas nights I’m so deeply in love with you,”

And we danced a dance of heavenly romance before the world,

It was only a dream but in this dream a banner of our love unfurled,

Above our little Panhandle town it waived for all our friends to see,

The greatest honor given any man is that Patricia Napier loves me,  

There it hung announcing your love and welcoming your man home,

He woke me in front of your house, but how was your address known,

So surprised to see your house but at three A M I just sat and prayed,

That when I’d finally see you again I’d find your love had not strayed,

Obstacles came to prevent our joining and fear of stalking you,

My father had not left word so I needed to find him if it’s true,

No sooner than I sat my seabag down my mother begged of me,

Please find your father I fear he has deserted me don’t you see,

You saved me Patti although I may now be lost in darkness of mind,

As I left Borger to find my dad the misting fog felt cold and unkind,

My thumb and seabag rode the north wind in search of a hitcher ride,

With my check in a Navy snafu I was broke in pocket and broken inside,

Five days to attain Gainesville means I ran most of the wet and cold way,

I should have been in Borger with my frame standing at your door all day,

Yes I would, I’d hide away to be unseen but near your car to find you,

If they truthfully watched me as threatened I’d hide if I needed to,

My minds on you every moment as I drink away two years of blood,

Perhaps not two years but I spent my share of time in blood ‘n’ mud,

Now I know you are the only one I love and it shall always be so,

For over twenty two years I’ve prepared to love the one I know,

Each drop of liqueur consumed brought closure to a memory,

My father allowed my consumption as he knew it’s unfair to me,

For thirty days and nights I’ve drank alcohol with little to eat,

Then my father sobered me up and said return but don’t retreat,

My daddy’s sending me home and he said your name to my surprise,

Daddy was a very sweet man, yet so strong plus he was worldly wise,

To see the lights of Borger crossing a hill in a friend’s car says I’m home,

So strange Glenn’s**^^ family has twice taken me to the love I’ve known,

I ask of you and I pray that somehow someway I will see you this day,

You are a psychic angel to find me once more as we were pulling away,  

I love you Patti but no courage brought the same words*^* you said to me,

As tears fell from my face I knew I had to earn enough to return quickly,

Thank you so very much for telling me to return to you with my promise,

If only you had come a bit closer I would have said I love you with a kiss,

Soon my $3,000 hardship and injury pay came to restart my life,

I had but one goal in the next six months, to ask you to be my wife.

For Patti, the end, by Pat

*Napier: Patti’s maiden name.
**Wire Brush: A wire brush was inserted by rapist.
***James Brown: A great soulful American singer, his lyrics.
*^Panhandle:  A small town nearly half way between the fifty miles to Borger.
*^^Stolen photos: Taken from my sister Edi and cut from the library albums.
**^^Glenn Lloyd:  My friend in high school.  He was a better friend than me.
*^*Same words: Upon seeing each other “Why didn’t you write me?”  —Thirty years later her mother revealed she had taken my letters unknown to Patti

If I could stretch the length of a night I would for you,

To stretch the night would mean stretching day time too,

A second in time added numerous times equals a bit more,

As the hourglass of eternity flows its but sand on the floor,

Sand is but dirt to some while to others it’s precious time,

For me the sands of time are particles of gold in a rhyme,

Used as an expression of my need to lengthen my life,

If only a minute times ten I’d happily use it with my wife,

Have you seen her this woman of six decades plus five,

Time as used here has passed her by to keep youth alive,

I falter in her presence to become weak as when first love,

Each day of her beauty gives pause in time to ponder of,

Yet “when first love” burns freely igniting my heart aflame,

The start of true love with such passion is still felt the same,

When I look into her beautiful eyes I see our Maker’s hand,

Her eyes seem of perfect crystallized glass of colored strand,

Colored gases of space that fill our universe with tinted glow,

As each color unites to create her hazel eyes that I love so,

I again fall so deeply in love with her I must gush to all I see,

The miracle of this rhyme of His hand is that she loves me.

The end, by Pat for Patti, I love you baby.

I build this story by rhyme,

And house at the same time,

It is nice to be young like you,

Though I’m old I feel young too,

I am young, I am as young as I am,

I’ll never be old enough to eat spam,

Of pig my favorite bite is of cold ham,

But I’ll remain a kid and eat plumb jam,

As gravity grabs my bags and pulls down,

I won’t let it drop my lips edge to be a frown,

Now for my grandkids I may dress as a clown,

And since I am the King of Chill I’ll wear a crown,

Note how perfectly constructed each line in rhyme,

Is made to extend just a bit more each and every time,

Let’s see just for fun since I feel so young in my prime,

I’ll find words to describe youth in a downward climb,

I rise in the morning and listen to each joint crack,

Perhaps rise is improper if referring to my back,

My grandkids will say “PaPa you sure are slow, slow,

I may be but the three of you give “PaPa” go,

Help me please to build this word house,

A building poem for us and my spouse,

We should add slow to build a stack,

How does adding slow help a back,

That was smart of you to ask,

It was a play on words task,

Sideways a house for one,

This line and it is done.

I am young, I am as young as I am,

I’ll never be old enough to eat spam,

Of pig my favorite bite is of cold ham,

But I’ll remain a kid and eat plumb jam,

As gravity grabs my bags and pulls down,

I won’t let it drop my lips edge to be a frown,

Now for my grandkids I may dress as a clown,

And since I am the King of Chill I’ll wear a crown,

Note how perfectly constructed each line in rhyme,

Is made to extend just a bit more each and every time,

Let’s see just for fun since I feel so young in my prime,

I’ll find words to describe youth in a downward climb,

I rise in the morning and listen to each joint crack,

Perhaps rise is improper if referring to my back,

But when I see my wife I plan for a love attack,

Invigorating a part is achieved plus cardiac,

Whoa boy I’m a man on fire inside of me,

I’m a youthful man when I’m sexually,

As climax comes old age must be,

If you look, our home you’ll see.

The end, by Pat for Patti.

I rose this morning to a beautiful soul vessel sleeping next to me,

It’s a blessing to wake each morning into a world filled with beauty,

At first viewing I become ii of you, it’s true I do,

For within this magnificent carriage of soul is the angel I love,

In a world that’s filled with hardship are you a gift from above?

It’s true I wonder of you, I occupy myself with you,

As my mind thinks of God’s creation I kneel in gratitude of such,

The little things that are everywhere although small mean so much,

I ponder you and the intoxication brought by you,

As Indian blankets cover a field with Inflorescences of red-violet,

Memories of a long ago meeting when mind and form were inviolate,

I knew then of true love, first sight brought feelings of,

It’s been fifty years and though my site fails everything you I see,

Yet I wonder why or perhaps is true, does she have full faith in me,

When their love is true, they share all that’s been or do,

Things held tight to the soul in fear of truthful response break hearts,

I had one thousand horses pulling a carriage of steel with titanium parts,

To guard the secret held, has such prevented full meld,

Long ago I washed a filth red from my blood stained wrists and hands,

Then a dream of lost love brought realization love can’t have demands,

Some say love’s a battlefield, I won’t allow such in our field,

Down a slope of cold empty dreams I slid until they were far away,

Into a meadow of songbird’s and flowers in a breeze controlled sway,  

I gathered flowers in for you, only missing a rose of blue,

I ask now under love’s umbrella forgive my slight for secrets held,

Nightmares brought by what wasn’t shared has now been felled,

I hold this bouquet of roses, as I present my cutest poses,

Let’s walk with hands held to share this slow waltz of flowers in sway,

Nestled in a bed of flowers and and beautiful scented roses I say,

You’re more beautiful today, age has made you this way,

Everybody that I know tells me my worth is little if not for you,

As I look at everything and what’s been said their words hold true,

If not for you and what you do, I’d be lonesome it’s true,

I’m surrounded in a world of you exactly where I want and long to be,

Time is moving faster through an hourglass no one can find or see,

Time is slowed through tragedy, but flows quickly when happy,

I rose this morning to a beautiful soul’s vessel sleeping next to me,

Again I am blessed to wake each morning into a world filled with beauty,

As always I wake to become ii of you, each morning I do,

For within your magnificent carriage of soul is the angel I love,

In a world that’s filled with hardship you are my gift from above,

You fill my world with wonder, it’s of you I dream in slumber.

The end, by Pat.  I love you. 

I woke at midnight to find midnight oh one creeping up on me,

It’s time, it’s time to wake from the world of adventure I can’t see,

In a dimension unknown I am, who I am is yet unknown with you,

I’m with you and you are as beautiful as the first time I saw through,

From within my brain there is an outlet to view the world around,

By using these orbs of magic your beautiful face and form is found,

“I see you” are the words to express the results found by orb’s view,

Something vibrates the follicles next to the place where I view you,

Wow, it is sound I have found or did I invent this noise in my head,

After much thought I believe it proper to give God credit instead,

Sound is remarkable alone but combined with view it’s profound,

When the sweetness of your voice mixes with view I am you bound,

Oh, the sound of which I have found is different on each side ear,

I wonder as I strum through my dictionary looking up words for hear,

Hmmmm, it seems I already know the word hear but is hear from ear?

Did they add ‘h’ to ear for hear or was ‘h’ removed to make hear clear?

Of course ‘cl’ is added to get clear from ear yet you must be near,

You must be near to hear clear the sound from that enters the ear,

By adding a new letter another ear word came with plus ‘n’ for near,

I fear I must exit of ear, oh dear, oh my, now ‘d’ and ‘f’ for fear and dear,

My brain is complex I’ve found beyond the miracle of your sound,

From within my cool brain’s function is also my mind I have found,

I say cool not as an expression of how cool I am but to have a brain,

For without a brain I’ve found looking at you won’t be the very same,

There’d be no memory to cultivate my taste and reason for love to find,

Comparison must be made for you to be the most beautiful in my mind,

As this being of me wandered life and all things of you I wanted to see,

I found pages with dates and months that at first were difficult for me,

By using this spongy tissue filled with matter of gray I learned to say,

To speak and to read a lot of words but truthfully it took more than a day,

But I’m a quick study and by year of living that adds to almost sixty nine,

I read it’s Mother’s Day, Happy Mother’s Day, at sixty four you’re still so fine.

The end, by Pat for Patti.  I love you baby,

Happy Mother’s Day!