JUDITH L. FLOYD
"Jude"
Sarah Waters
Judith, whose writing alias is "Sarah Waters", currently lives in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Her husband is an active duty AGR officer with the USAR 463rd EN BN in Wheeling, West Virginia.
As a Family Readiness volunteer who works with the 99th Regional Readiness Command, Jude's job is to educate the reservists and their families about their benefits and entitlements and to prepare them for mobilization and deployment, and then reunion.

Emtpy Visit

A cold wind blows and scuttles leaves
about the brittle grass
an old man huddles in his coat
a shiver comes to pass
a woman takes his hand in hers
and looks into his face
together they recall the things that brought them to this place
A summer day, they said goodbye
to a young man they both knew
their tears were filled with fear and pride
but he knew what he must do
He held them both and smiled at them
but would not say goodbye
"I'll see you soon" was all he said as a tear fell from his eye
So now they sit together and recall him as a boy
delighted and delightful, he was their only joy
Now all grown up a hero, he finally has come home
back to fields and forests
which in his boyhood he would roam
The couple turn their gazes up as snow falls from the sky
knowing that the son they love will always be nearby
They turn to leave as icy winds blow the freezing rain
that coats the polished marble stone
that bears their soldier's name

©Copyright August 2004 by Judith L. Floyd (Sarah Waters)

SERGEANT MOM

the alarm goes off, and the sergeant wakes
forcing cobwebs from her head
she tosses on her uniform
and tidies up her bed

she can hear her troops in the room next door
they're getting ready now
so she joins them in the mess hall
for their early morning chow

they clear their plates and she hands out
the orders for the day
then they pile into the old green truck
and head out on their way

the day is long and they grow hot
beneath the midday sun
but they push on and do their work
until the day is done

they meet back at the old green truck
the back now filled with corn
the work that they've been doing
since earlier that morn

they pull up to the old farmhouse
and wash up for the day
this sergeant and her soldiers
will continue on this way

tomorrow it's tomatoes
and the next day maybe beets
but they'll pull the weight they're missing
to keep them on their feet

they'll do it till the man they love
comes back from war to life
for this sergeant who works to carry on
is a military wife

©Copyright August 2004 by Judith L. Floyd (Sarah Waters)

THE MAN IN THE CARDBOARD BOX

In a cardboard house, an old Man sits
near a busy street;
gloves that have no fingers
no shoes upon his feet

People hurry past him,
and I think I know why,
to ignore him is much easier
than to look him in the eye

What no one knows about him
what no one wants to hear
is who this homeless stranger was
in his younger years

His high IQ had served him well
but he left college at his best
and he went to serve his country
proudly with the rest

In the jungle he saw terror
on the faces of his friends
sometimes he heard their dying words
and held them to the end

In the hill fights he tried to understand
when Monday's fight they'd win
on Tuesday they would leave their prize
to Mr. Charles again

He came home a changed man
disillusions held him fast
a man whose once bright future
was now haunted by his past

He could not face his family
they would not understand
the things that he'd been forced to do
in that foreign land

He'd lost the dreams he'd harbored
just one short year ago
his mind no longer coping
with what he'd come to know

No one called him hero
no one once said thanks
what he did he did in vain
one more grunt in the ranks

In this way he grew older
lonely and depressed
no longer did he comb or shave
or care how he was dressed

Nobody cared about his pain
or noticed his lapel
that bore the sergeants stripes he wore
the prize he'd won in hell

So he ended up another face
buried in the crowd
to look at him you'd never guess
that one time he'd been proud

And soon this man was just a ghost
who wandered out of sight
until he found a doorway
to settle for the night

And this is where you'll find him
just watching passersby
this educated hero
no one dares look in the eye

©Copyright August 2004 by Judith L. Floyd (Sarah Waters)

THE SAND BOX

When they were young we'd watch them play
in the sandbox in the yard each day
Imagination took them places
where only they could see the faces
they took their cowboys, army men
tanks and barbies gladly then
creating places far away
the sandbox took them there to play
and when the sky released the rain
turning every tiny grain
to something less than they would need
to play their minds most magic scenes
they'd wait until they saw blue sky
and know the sun was soon to dry
the place where only they could go
wherein lie things only they could know
in the sandbox
now many years have come and gone
we've watched them grow so tall and strong
and now they serve to right a wrong
in the sandbox
there are no tiny soldiers here
but men and woman who show no fear
where faces never in their childish mind
now in their very path do find
who's trucks no longer hold a spell
but drive them through a distant hell
and all that we can do for them
is pray to God and listen when
we hear the wheels that safely lead
back to towns where they are freed
from the sandbox.

©Copyright August 2004 by Judith L. Floyd (Sarah Waters)

UNDUENESS

How well I recall that day, our hearts were full of life,
my son was off to college as we'd hoped for all his life.
With excitement running through our veins
we pulled his empty suitcase from its closet hideaway.
"Come on," I said and grabbed my boy, "we have to shop today."

Our journey took us all through town till our trunk had overflowed.
He looked at all the shopping bags and said, "It's time to go.
We have everything I think I'll need it's time that we get back,
it's going to take some time to get me organized and packed."

With joy we brought the parcels in and laid them on his bed,
and that's when dad came in the room and this is what he said.
"Son you got a call today, from your commander at the reserves."
(The unit in which every month he had proudly served.)

"Here's the number, call them back, they have some news for you."
The look that passed across his face told me it was true.
He made the call and turned to me and said "I have to pack,
but college is not where I'll go - I'm heading for Iraq."

"I only have a day to get my things in order here,
so please just help me organized." he mumbled through his tears.
A mothers love knows no bounds, emotions can't be hidden,
and as I cried and clung to him he did as he'd been bidden.

Army green, the duffle bag; army green, the gear;
army green was what he packed but what I packed was fear.
I thought about his future; how it had looked so bright,
but now what waited for my son seemed as black as night.

He joined me at the table later on that eve
and as I sat there crying he tugged gently at my sleeve,
"Mom," he said, "the tears you saw me cry when I first heard the news
were tears of disappointment, so please don't be confused."

"I signed those papers long ago, knowing this could come,
and though you're sad and fearful your not the only one."
"Son, were going to pack your suitcase, you were going to start your life
get an education, a family and a wife."

He turned to me and smiled and as he looked in to my face.
He said, "It's just an interruption I'll be back to pack that case.
Have courage, strength, and most of all don't give up your faith
I'll need your prayers, and others too, to sustain me in that place."

"And leave my suitcase on my bed for I'll be coming back
and when I do it will be you who comes to help me pack."

©Copyright August 2004 by Judith L. Floyd (Sarah Waters)