The Boy Next Door

by Gary Jacobson © 2001


The sounds of silence
Fill the very air with dreadful abhorrence
A loathsome product of distant violence
For the Boy Next Door
Won’t be coming home any more.
For a bright young son
A families blessed one
The love of their life
Had given his final kiss of life.

Oh the boy next door
Won’t be comin’ home no more
Just doin’ his patriotic chore
Felled by that cruel Asian war.
Grief like a thief came stealing,
In the lonely night left grieving
Those who this child adore
For laughter from the Boy Next Door
would be heard never more.

For at his countries behest
He left a mother clutching him to her breast
Pulling away to answer his countries final call
For values held dear, gave his all.
He held the keys to his family’s future,
It would seem,
For he held the very world on a string,
Strong brave and true,
This favored son of the red, white and blue,
His families grandest dream,
The captain of the football team.

The Boy Next Door had so much to live for.
Why, oh why did he have to die, for
His sounds of laughter still in memory remain
Bringing loving hearts wrenching tears of pain
In remembrance of his joy of life refrain
From silent halls nevermore the same.
Oh the boy next door
Won’t be comin’ home no more
Just doin’ his patriotic chore
Felled by that cruel Asian war.

His laughter is replaced with gloom and doom
Where only the sound of silence does loom
Sealing mortal ears of hearts suddenly bitter
Shutting off joy stilled for here-ever-after,
No more to hear his boyish laughter.
His family, devoid of their brightest hope,
Now in pain smiling to cope,
Trying to be brave, for him,
Their hope, their world, their future
Now before their eyes waning dim.

Oh the boy next door
Won’t be comin’ home no more
Just doin’ his patriotic chore
Felled by that cruel Asian war.
Recalled childhood memories his family is clutching,
Desperately quieting,
Somberly sobering,
Bearing irreconcilable feelings of deepest dread,
Honoring,
Loving,
Their dear departed dead...

How can the neighborhood ever be the same,
Bearing this fatal bane,
Deathblood's most horrible stain.
For they have borne witness to life's destroyer,
His cycle of death’s specter hovering over.
Oh the boy next door
Won’t be comin’ home no more
Just doin’ his patriotic chore
Felled by that cruel Asian war.

In time the world will go on...
It will...as life goes on...
Love and laughter will go on
As it should,
sweet and good.
But we will never forget!
Though we go on living and loving
Without regret.
With honor his memory we respect
Of a bright future cut short reflect.
Now stilled is his valor, For he not only talked the talk,
But silent now, dared walk this honorable walk.

Oh the boy next door
Won’t be comin’ home no more
Just doin’ his patriotic chore
Felled by that cruel Asian war...
The Boy Next Door didn’t run and hide
He had too much pride.
He didn’t protest,
He was in every way his countries best.

He didn’t know if he would live or die,
But didn’t ask why.
He just did his duty,
To protect revered principles he so much loved
In this great land of shining, radiant beauty.
This boy next door was truly a man
Who dared in life to take a stand.
With pride he answered his countries call,
For that he dearly loved he gave his all...

Oh the boy next door
Won’t be comin’ home no more
Just doin’ his patriotic chore
Felled by that cruel Asian war...
We will never forget him...
Our nations beloved son...our brother!
Oh God, we pray we will never lose another.


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