Growing up in the 60's and 70's,
                   I learned to smile
                like  I've  never  cried,
            I  learned  how  to  fight  like
                   I've never lost.

          And as a United   States   Marine
                            in Vietnam
                    I  learned  how  to  ****   
                       so I could make it  
                home   alive  only  to  face
            another war in my head called
                            PTSD or die.

                 And  I  learned  how  to
                              love like
                    I've never been hurt.

                      And I learned to live
                  like  there's  no  tomorrow
               but  how  to  live  in  the  now,
                    and I learned kindness
                 doesn't  cost  a  ****  thing,
                         so I learned how to
                sprinkle  that  ****  everywhere.

                    But most important of all
                        I learned that there's
                only one thing that can make a
                       soul  complete, and
                         that thing is love
                               and that's
                     just the way we rolled.
                                                         ­                                    Jon York   2019