Ambushed

Over 6 feet tall and 275 pounds,
carrying broad shoulders,
a thick neck and a white beard,
but he felt his 60 years
after he was hospitalized
after being attacked
by a group of youngsters
wielding baseball bats.
It was cool,
so he had the window open.
He hollered at them to keep it down.
The youths were
destroying his neighbor's mailbox,
so he and his 20 year-old son,
went outside to run the vandals off.
He wasn't expecting a war.
The Vietnam veteran,
had never been less prepared
for a fight in his life.
He was still half asleep...
the first blow took him
in the back of the head
and another soon followed
that shattered his ankle.
If he'd had time to think about it
he would have called the police.