Farewell

...Of going away.

He swings up on
their only good horse,
wearing his gray to become
part of the force
gathering to support their freedom.
His children are crying,
his wife clinging to them,
in the air that’s getting colder.
The wind whips her hair
around her eyes
as the tears bid
farewell.
Farewell to her husband,
who stands so strong and brave,
who dares to raise a hand,
as he leaves to go away
and perhaps…
Never come back.
Farewell to the daddy,
that the children love so well!
Little Ben and smaller Addie
don’t know how to bid farewell,
and so they cry.
And his farm around him cries
out, the brown grass blows in the wind,
and his cows mill in the corral.
All around him sighs
the forest he passionately loves.
But he’s going now – going to fight!
Going to fight for the cause
that he believes is so right.
He may never come back,
but long live the South!
He’s gone now – “Farewell once more,
my dear!” sighs the wife,
“Farewell.”