"a little nation." LBJ

that last night
i wrote you a letter
before i fell
i told you war is hell

but you were far away
preoccupied
how could i know
i had one more day to go

to learn about war
the hard business
of killing men
over and over again

in uniform or not
mostly unrehearsed
i wore my boots with pride
weeks before i died

not too old
still young and strong
but had you seen me die
there was no question in my eye.