Quietly the officer walked out.
“I did my job, told the poor Lady some lies
That will help her thru the night”,
While he coughed and mumbled, for a moment her eyes
Had shone with pride for her Patriot son so brave protecting the Homeland.

LIES, LIES, DAMN LIES!!!

He thought how 'Dave', incompetent, useless idiot,
Had panicked in that alley while clearing the way
For that oil company truck, that night the bomb
Blew up in Baghdad; how he'd been trying
To get sent home, and how, at last, he did,
In a body bag blown to bits, and no one really cared
Except that lonely woman.