Mexico Town Square, Pastel, by John Cummings
Be Strong
You must be strong,
After all, you were blessed to live on the hill,
With the canal winding below it full
Of spring runoff, it could have been
A lot worse, be strong because the trees
Stand tall, cottonwoods, poplars, red oaks,
And bushes and wild brush that paints the land
And the businessman going to work
In his Cadillac and the carpenter with a new hammer
Telling you it’s a new day, you musn’t weep
Because a harsh rain has come your way,
You are strong and have come back whole,
One of the lucky ones, come home,
To visit your old grade school,
To revisit warm days full of kids cheering
Kids playing, going home after a full day.
______________
Zeke Sanchez
Review by Dave Mehler
And then here’s a heart-wrenching poem about a returning Vietnam war vet, talking to his younger self, encouraging himself to be strong because the trees stand tall and strong, revisiting his grade school and innocence of his earlier years, and now others, upon his return– reminding himself of just how lucky he is to be alive and returning home. That’s really something, isn’t it?!