30 years

30 years ago today I received your first letter

Now I have a box full of useless paper with empty promises all over the pages

Like a blank diary holding no secrets

all those letters hold no importance to me

“I love you faith, I love you faith , Poppa is a hero faith, I love you faith”

You had one son, one daughter and one wife

I had one brother, one mother, and one father

As the years went by war swept away my one brother and one father

Swept away like the dust momma swept every Tuesday

Every Wednesday a fresh new letter

10 years old so oblivious to the events

My only source of real facts was James

James who you said couldn’t be my penpal

“Americans aren’t friends with Germans”

You said

But every new letter brought the truth out

You killed other girl’s father's

Other girl’s brothers

Uncles, Future Husbands

You were no hero poppa

Deceiving is what you were

Brother who looked up to you

Perished away like a pebble thrown into the sea

Once you left so did he

In different ways much more painful

As if on instinct he took the role of leader of the household

Forgetting that I his one and only sister needed him

Leaving me in the dark with not even a single candle

Instead after hitting the big one nine he also fleeted to fight for Germany

However he didn’t murmur a single goodbye

Never bothered to write me one letter

As if he had completely forgotten his one and only sister

The day you decided to go ahead and capture Belgium

Was the day my candle was extinguished

Momma who was a nurse never was there

Leaving faith who was only ten to fend for her own

3 years,10 months and 18 days after the war began

14 year old faith hardly having food to eat

Germany was so bad poppa you blamed everyone but us

Leaving millions to die and germany economy to suffer

James who didn’t write back anymore

Leaving for war as you did and as brother did

Two officers dressed in green appear at the door

Sensing tragic news momma holds me close in her arms

Momma who never bothered to hold me

Who seemingly forgot her daughter while healing wounds poppa created

Tears flooded her crystal blue eyes

Suddenly revolted by the news but never once feeling lamentful

As momma looks up seeking my face empty of tears

Just a pensive far away look as if she had already known

Two officers walking away with not a single care

As if two women did not have to fend for themselves

ENRAGED rather than sorrowful

Trudging away from my mother who no longer was a mother

of two or a wife

I now had one mother, no brother and no father