Beautiful Boy

Of pain and blood — first cries,
And breath and open eyes,
The womb's safe walls now breached,
As pixie hands, upward reach,
Beautiful boy.

And endless nights of endless wake,
Love's sweet specters never slake,
They cradle pup from every fear,
New breath puffs in parent's ear,
Beautiful boy.

Limbs so slight of bone and skin,
Scarecrow cub — free as the wind,
Yet time will grow sinews and size,
'Til a young man one day does rise,
Beautiful boy.

As his character and stature grow,
Then a father will come to know,
The infant-man dons uniform,
With proud heart, and tresses shorn,
Beautiful boy.

And every ring, and every knock,
Brings every fear, and every shock,
For the one once weak and frail,
Now blazes the most deathly trails,
Beautiful boy.

The day violence breaks this boy,
This beautiful, beautiful, boy,
Now lays crumpled upon the ground,
His fractured frame makes no sound.
Beautiful broken boy.

Of pain and blood, last cries,
Without breath but opened eyes,
Kin and loved ones mourn and weep,
And walk in grief and valleys deep,
Oh beautiful, beautiful boy.

Oh beautiful, broken boy.