A BOX MADE OF IRONWOOD
A box made from wood, from Manzanita,
Ironwood it's called, a box that will withstand the fires of hell,
The hotter the fire, the stronger the wood,
A box that cannot be burned or destroyed
A perfect box for keeping memories and deeds locked away
A box from which they cannot escape, cannot see the light of day
Locked with a simple brass turnkey,
It opens so easy for me
Inside I find memories long locked away
Memories I now bring into the light of day
Pictures, many pictures, all old, all worn, and tattered and torn
Pictures in color, pictures with no color, pictures with no names
Pictures of a lonely desert house, pictures that show a boy and girl;
Handsome young boy, beautiful young girl, she has long hair
Eyes, black eyes that sparkle in the desert sun, how beautiful she is
Strength, massive strength is seen in his young body, signs of the man he will be.
Pictures of horses, wild beautiful magnificent horses
A picture of three young men, and a beautiful young woman
Three powerful men in their prime, all standing over six feet tall;
Strong and full of life, breaking horses and loving life
A young woman, small of stature, a face of such beauty,
A woman's figure, full and strong, a body for the bearing of children
Three men, one the brother with her in their mother's womb;
Two men, suitors for the young woman; her brother only smiles
A picture, a wedding picture, taken in the deserts of their home;
In it a beautiful young woman and a tall strong Indian warrior
Pictures of jungles, pictures of men, men with stripes on their faces and clothes
Pictures of Men, of Warriors, pictures of men soon to die
Pictures of villages, burned to the ground, bodies laying all around
Pictures of Men, grim determination on their face and revenge in their eyes
Parchments, many parchment papers, papers with words of magnificent deeds
Parchments with words of courage and valor or love for his brothers
Letters from his wife, letters full of love
Letters that talk of how it will be, when home he returns
News paper article, Los Angeles 1968
Birth of a boy child, his first born
Parchments with words of praise and words of glory and honor
Medals, many, many medals, badges and patches and two Berets.
What are they? What do they mean? Which words go with them?
These are the memories of a soldier at war; of those he lost.
Letters, many, many letters, letters from his sister
Letters full of life and plans and of love
Letters from his wife, her letters are complaining
No longer do words of love from her to him come
Messages, messages from the Army, tear stained papers
We regret, we are sorry to inform, killed in action, missing in action
A small newspaper obituary: "Killed in Action"
Picture of a young Indian woman, heavy with child
Tears on her cheeks, heart is broken.
Her husband she sends home to his Gods
Her brother is still missing in action
He is found, he is alive
Berets, funny looking green hats,
Blood stained, her husband's blood and her brothers blood
Newspaper article... In Los Angles 1970,
Birth of a boy child, his second
Newspaper article, San Carlos,
1970, birth of a girl child, her first and only
More Army papers - many, many more papers
All say something of his years and skills and job
Divorce papers, his wife want him no more
Custody papers, his wife wants not their sons
Newspaper article San Carlos Arizona
1975, woman murdered, child an orphan
Death certificate: His sister's - 1975 Arizona.
Hard to read, very descriptive, his tears stain the paper
Adoption papers, 1975, Arizona and California
A small girl without parents is adopted by her Uncle
A mortgage trust deed - their house, her house now as well.
A marriage certificate: Los Angeles, 1976 October 1.
Adoption certificates, 1977 Los Angeles,
Three motherless children now have a mother
Papers, Coast Guard papers, his licenses,
His Third Offices license, His Second Officers License
More Coast Guard papers, His Chief Officers License
His Master Mariners License., any ocean any vessel no limits
Death certificates, Arizona, his Mother, Arizona, his Father
Death certificates, New York, her father
Achievement certificates, Children are doing well
Certificates from schools for all of their children
Report cards: hers always excellent in all classes.
Her brothers average except in sports, each one saved
Pictures drawn by small hands, school pictures;
All carefully dated and saved. Each with a loving comment
Letters from a husband to his wife, letters filled with love
Postmarked from faraway places bearing his love for her
Pictures of children growing up – of children becoming grown:
Pictures of his wife – his reason for living.
Each picture carefully dated, each weathered and worn.
Each hand drawn picture has been handled until the edges are worn
I wonder on how many bulkheads they have been placed,
How many places have these pictures seen?
More pictures, pictures of ships, his ships
Ships and ports and places most will never know
Letters home from those faraway places
Letters sending his love home
Letters from his home, from his family
Letters sending their love to him
Each letter, each picture a memory
Each a memory of a man and woman
Each piece of life and death, each memory
Each memory echoes his life and his death
His memories of life when very young
His memories of life as a young man
His memories of life as a soldier
His memories of life and death in war
His memories of one way of life ending
His memories of raising three small children alone
His memories of meeting his reason for living
Her memories of meeting her reason for living
Her memories of raising their families
Their memories, and now I will add mine as well
This is the Memory Box, it cannot be burned
It cannot be destroyed, our memories are now
And forever protected by this box of Ironwood