Received from Christina...

The poet, Steve Mason, who wrote "Johnny's Song" - poems about Vietnam, died on May 25th. This was a poem he wrote and it seems appropriate to send it on. Christina

AFTER THE READING OF THE NAMES
Shared at the Peace Memorial, Old Town, San Diego, Memorial Day, 1984

I just call him Johnny;
like in Johnny went off to war
and Johnny didn't come home.
And remember him,
like Johnny was a helluva ballplayer
and Johnny's folks
moved away that year--
some say, Minnesota;
but his name's still here
not two miles from his old high school
on a Peace Memorial
(which is a funny name for it.)
Sometimes, like today,
we read All the names
some call it "the reading of the names."
Me, I just call it Johnny's Song.
And as much as I love the words,
I've come to really hate the music...

Steve Mason