Dottie's Song

You actually get two postings today. The first one I wrote after seeing the movie "Stop Loss." That's below this one. This is a song I wrote tonight for my Aunt Dottie who passed away March 28th. As you read it, you may wonder why I chose flowers instead of a moon design. Well, I had a verse in the song about her garden, but it just didn't fit in the song and it disrupted the flow. So I chose to honor her passion for gardening with the design.

If you click on the image down below, it should enlarge so you can read the words. If not, I've posted them below.

And...yes I know there are a few typos. Geez, I reread this poem so many times I thought I had caught them all. So if anyone wants to print this out, let me know and by then I'll have created a new one TYPO free. :-)

Dottie’s Song

When she woke up Friday morning

She knew it would be her last

The next time she would rest her eyes

The angels would come at last

With the ones who mattered most

Gathered ‘round inside her room

She closed her eyes finally free of pain

And flew up to the moon

She sat there on the bright half

Looking down on planet earth

She liked the legacy she left behind

For all that it was worth

She remembered hearing Mark sing

It is the music of her heart

Bojangles will always dance for her

When she hears the music start

Shelly was so headstrong

She’d go far, she could tell

Her beauty, brains and that pretty smile

She’d always be her “Belle.”

Mindy was the youngest

The apple of her eye

She’s saving the world the only way she knows how

One child at a time

Michael B’s alone now

He’s sitting in his chair

She knows he always loved her

She knows he always cared

She finally saw the imprint

She had made on all their lives

And she knew she fulfilled her purpose

For they would be alright

She remembered all the good times

And the times that tried her will

She had beaten all the odds

And conquered every hill

She could not remember the suffering

Only the love that filled her life

It’s all that she took with her

When she passed away that night

Written by William B. Whalen

on April 7, 2008 at 9:26pm as

Antigone serenaded me.

War is Hell

I dedicate this entry to my cousin Bill Shipley who is serving his second tour in Iraq. May God watch over you and protect you and bring you home safely. You have my undying gratitude. You possess a level of courage most people will never know. I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for your service to our country. How ironic that the two grandsons (out of about 45) named William would serve on the front lines of the two wars in our lifetime. You're in my thoughts and prayers every single day.


In the book "Jarhead" by Anthony Swofford, he talks about how going to war was like walking into a tunnel and coming out the other side a completely different person. I know the feeling. I've been through that tunnel. It took me a very long time to deal with some of what happened to me during my tour in Iraq in Desert Storm. But Desert Storm was a cake-walk compared to what our American soldiers are dealing with right now in Iraq. My cousin is there on his second tour. On his first tour, he lost his best friend. I just saw the movie "Stop Loss." It was like a mini-tunnel. I felt like I walked out of the theater a different person. I won't go into too much detail about this film because I think every voting American should see it. Of course, though reviewed really well, this movie tanked at the box office. America can't handle the reality of this war. The reality of this war is not what you see politicians bitching about on tv. The reality of this war is not what you see people protesting on the streets. The reality of this war really has very little to do with you and me. The reality of this war is what is happening to our soldiers who serve in Iraq. The reality of this war is what they sacrifice for us and how it affects their lives, for those who survive. I'm so tired of listening to people preach about how "they signed up for it" and "they have no right to bitch because it's an all volunteer Army." Until you've seen the front lines of a war, you should really keep your mouth shut when it comes to your negative opinions of the soldiers who serve. If you think you know so much, then march your civilian ass down to the local recruiting station, go through basic training and then go fight in this war. When you come home, IF you come home, the you have earned the right to talk about what these soldiers go through. I hate this war and I'm not to fond of the guy who got us into it, but those soldiers are my brothers and sisters. And I love and support each and every one of them. We're forever bonded by our experiences. Though I would never in a million years try to equate my time in Desert Storm to what they're going through now, I understand the state of mind you must maintain to exist in a war zone. I know what it's like to live every single moment of your life, both asleep and awake, in constant fear for your life. General MacArthur said it best, "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is he who must suffer and bear the greatest wounds and scars of this war."

By the way, "stop-loss" is what happens when you reach the end of your time in the Army and they decide to negate that and keep you in the Army. 99% of the time, it means you're going to be sent right back to the war you just came home from. It's also known as the "back-handed draft." Isn't it enough what these men and women do for us in a time of war? Shouldn't we allow the ones who come home to stay home? And remember one thing, these soldiers volunteering to fight in this war is the only thing standing between YOU and a draft.

Again, thank you for reading. If for any reason whatsoever you wish to not receive my blog emails anymore, please feel free to tell me. It won't hurt my feelings and I won't take it personally.