Final Goodbye

 Final Goodbye 

In the quiet of his room, a veteran sits,

A pilot once, chasing skies, thrilling fits.

Childhood dreams of wings, an epic tale,

Of flight in youth, in the sun's warm trail.

In his youth, love took a graceful flight,

Dreams of soaring, in the sun's warm light.

Air force beckoned, a call profound,

Black Hawk pilot, in duty's hallowed ground.

Became a pilot, soared with pride,

Medvac missions, where valor resides.

Through clouds and storms, his journey found,

A warrior’s mission with courage crowned.

Yet illness struck, a cruel twist of fate,

Clipped his wings, at hell’s gate 

Lonely echoes in the rotor's hum,

Broken spirit, a war-worn drum.

Each helicopter, a reminder stark

Of skies untamed, spirit growing dark 

Longing to become an Eagle, to soar above the gale 

Each engine’s roar, a haunting wail.

Veterans Day came, in uniform he's clad

Reaching for a souvenir, memories sad,

A gun, the last memento held.

A symbol of a story, silently spelled,

In solitude, he yearns for flight,

An Eagle's dance in the boundless light.

Through tear-streaked eyes, he looks above,

Recalls the skies, his crew, his love.

A silent salute to dreams shattered, lost

On his chapped lips he feels the frost 

A fatal shot rings in the crisp air 

A final goodbye to a life etched in despair 

Maxwell O’Reilly