A man named Henry died fighting General Lee.
Had he lived, he would have married Mabel Morgan
and been my great grandfather.
He did not.
That job went to a man named David,
my mother’s grandfather.
A man named Rolf died fighting Kaiser Wilhelm.
Had he lived, he would have married Anna Clark
and been my grandfather.
He did not.
That job went to a man named George,
my mother’s father.
A man named Harold died fighting Hirohito.
Had he lived, he would have married Margaret
and been my father.
He did not.
That job went to a man named Fred,
my father.
A man named Don died fighting Ho Chi Minh.
Had he lived, he would have married Carolyn
and been my daughter’s father.
He did not.
That job went to me.
My daughter Linda died fighting Saddam Hussein.
Had she lived, she would have married Rick
and become my grandson’s mother.
She did not.
That job went to her sister Kay.
My grandson
may become my great grandson’s father.
If he lives.
2014