Warning, long read:

THE WORKER AND THE VET

He drinks every drop,
To make the memories stop,
But all that is does,
is make them more strong.

He’s been too many times,
To that one place in time,
That place in the dark,
The place called Vietnam.

Now it is cold,
And the wind,
Knows no Mercy.

He sits on the corner,
As those all around him,
Start cussing and cursing.

“Look at that bum,
The clothes he wears,
The bottle he carries,
My, isn’t he scary?”

They all turn to laugh,
When all that he asks,
Is for a dollar to eat,
Something sweet,
Anything is a treat.

Soon they retreat,
Throwing garbage,
At his feet.

He lays in an alley,
Dreaming of Dear Sally,
The woman he loved,
Before he left for Vietnam.

She left him alone,
When he got called home,
She left him alone,
To marry Good Ole Joe.

He knew of the child,
That she had carried,
but, she never wanted,
Her to meet her real Daddy.

He clings to the bottle,
His only retreat,
When suddenly a stranger,
Asks him to his feet.

“Not another cop,
Those damn Government Jerks.”
The man thinks,
As he gathers his worth.

Soon he sees,
That it’s not the police,
But someone so sweet.

Caring and kind,
Her voice like an angel,
Is it that time already?

She wraps him in a blanket,
She takes his old shoes,
She gives him some hot chocolate,
To warm his cold toes.

He reads her tag,
Salvation Army,
And with a tear in his eye,
He asks her who is she?

“I’m just a woman,
One who knows,
That those in need,
Are deserving as me.

I see you there,
Laying in the street,
And thought that today,
Was my calling.

I gathered my things,
And put on my uniform,
But skipped the Salvation Army,
Because I felt you were more worthy.

I see you all the time.
Clinging to the bottle,
I thought to myself,
One day, that will be his last swallow.

So I took my cell phone,
And turned it into the boss,
Said I quit this job,
And I have no remorse.

I kept the uniform,
But only for a while,
I’ll take it back tomorrow,
To show him that it’s final.”

He listened to her words,
Of her family and friends,
Who took her for all her worth,
And that job was her last chance.

He took her hand,
said in voice high,

“My Child, Don’t quit,
For you have made me rich!
You showed me there are,
Others who care,
And now I know that,
There is a God up there.

He sent you to me,
And you did his deed,
Stay with the Salvation Army,
As there are others just as needy!”

She took to his words,
And on Christmas Day,
She went back to work,
To the place,
Where the homeless stay.

She felt so new,
So very alive,
That she never thought,
That the news would arrive.

She watched it on TV,
It was a very tearful scene,
For the man that she gave to,
Had met up with family.

His daughter had searched,
Many years and days,
For the one she knew,
Had always been
her real Daddy.

She went to work,
Walking through,
The very same alley.

She had seen,
That picture laying,
Of her mother, Sally.

The old man had dropped it,
Without even knowing,
And she picked it up,
The tears started flowing.

When she met the man,
She walked up to him,
And felt all the more rich.

They stared at each other,
And she said “It’s you,
You’re my Father!”

They held each other,
In only the warmest embrace,
He looked her over,
And saw it in her face.

She had his eyes,
Nose and chin,
It was his Daughter,
Mary Anne.

The story goes on,
But this is what,
I want you to know,
No matter who you are,
No matter where you go.
God is watching,
And he always knows.

When it is time,
He gives you the urge,
To help those needy,
So heed that call.

And remember this,
You might meet someone,
You’ll never forget.