Warning Sign

He left for war in 1966 a boy
and came back a drunkard,
pill-popper and cocaine addict.
His former boss and former wife
will tell you he came back
an all-around pain in the ass
with a vicious temper
and venomous mouth
he couldn't control.
His mother took him in
when he couldn't afford a place
to live because paying for booze
and dope came first.
He might have ended up homeless.
That's what war does to you.
That's what combat can do.
Behind a haunting blue-eyed stare,
he offered his warning to soldiers fighting
America's new war on terror
and those who will go later.