Your Dad Was Our Hero
by Michael Doyle

I was minding my business, 
Just standing there.
I was resting on my crutches,
Sipping on a beer.

We had come to pay our
Our truest respects.
Saying our goodbyes
Without any neglect. 

A soldier's son
Marched up to his coffin.
With no dry eyes in the room,
Not a single soul was laughing.

How do you tell a crying kid,
That everything will be alright?
How do you keep the tears hid,
Tucked away and out of sight.

I watched his mother
As she held her son tight.
The man had been my brother
Until that firefight.

There are moments lost in my head,
When I have wished for something to say.
There's really no way to bring back the dead.
We promised he would know love every day.

A soldier's son
Marched up to his coffin.
With no dry eyes in the room,
Not a single soul was laughing.

How do you tell a crying kid,
That everything will be alright?
How do you keep the tears hid,
Tucked away and out of sight.

A soldier may be down,
But he still has family.
Take a look around,
We'll never let him be lonely.

Right to the bitter end,
I had fought to keep his da here.
He was in my platoon and my friend.
Until I said goodbye with the last sip of beer.

A soldier's son
Marched up to his coffin.
With no dry eyes in the room,
Not a single soul was laughing.

How do you tell a crying kid,
That everything will be alright?
How do you keep the tears hid,
Tucked away and out of sight.

There are promises
That I'll do my best to keep.
Some things know no compromise,
Despite the tears that we weep.

Like a guardian angel staying n the shadow,
I promised to always be near.
I reassured the boy and let him know
That I would never let him feel fear.

A soldier's son
Marched up to his coffin.
With no dry eyes in the room,
Not a single soul was laughing.

How do you tell a crying kid,
That everything will be alright?
How do you keep the tears hid,
Tucked away and out of sight.

(c) April 15, 2026   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved