On Desert Sand

The First of a two part storytelling poem this is in honor of all those heroes who have served

On Desert Sand…

She walks leaning heavily

On the wooden cane.

She’s come a long way

Since she came back from

Broken and Bloodied.

She’d never be put back together again.

She remembered those first few days

Conscious in a blur

Remembered running to the aid

Of a terrified boy

A soldier not ready to die.

She had saved his life

But nearly lost hers

She saw legs with size eight combat boots

A few feet from her and knew

Instantly what had happened.

She didn’t drift out until they

Had stabilized her

She remembered being loaded into the air

ambulance

Quietly praying she’d survive

Then she drifted off to a place she was free of

pain.

She woke up to strange sounds

And a familiar face

Her baby sister Courtney who was terrified of

planes

Had flown to be with her.

It was hard those first weeks

To simply stay awake.

Your body healed when you slept

She knew that

But nothing could give you amputated limbs

back.

When she was stabilized once more

She was sent back to the states

To Walter Reed Hospital

Her sister always by her side.

She had a long road ahead of her

She knew that

But Cheyenne was no stranger to hard Work.

Giving up was not an option

She was a Soldier, broken and battered

But she had survived.

During those moments

She felt utterly broken

Remembering that Desert

And it’s danger

But it’s beauty too

Always had a way of lifting her up.

She’d close her eyes

And see a child’s hands reach out

For a Chocolate bar

A luxury so many couldn’t afford.

Some thought of that place

As Hell but Cheyenne saw the beauty there.

“Someday I’m going back,

Not as a soldier

But I can do something to help.”

“I’ll go with you

Courtney said.” Not a doubt

In her mind her sister would do as she said.

It took her months, but she learned

To walk again

On legs of titanium and plastic

Only a hand carved wooden cane as her aid.

(C) Michelle R Kidwell

March.29.2017

To Be Continued In On A Dime