He was there for our daughter’s birth
And our son’s first baseball toss
How I still look for that mirth
Yet, all I feel is a sense of loss

I can see the light in his eyes
From following his heart-felt dream
Who am I to deny
His quest to wear BP Green

The day he left to EOD
I’d not let him see me cry
Gone five months to the Academy
My heart was with his ? as I watched him fly

The kids and I waved
As he flew into the night
How well they behaved
Until he was out of sight.

That first night I laid alone
And held his pillow close
My nose sniffed his cologne
His nightshirt still on the bedpost

I sat around staring at the walls,
Counting tiles on the ceiling, and the floor.
Waiting for the simple ring of a phone call
Before I dare try anymore.

His first call came on day number three
He talked of new friends and all his classes
Best of all, he said how much he misses me.
Now, I hope that he just passes.

Twenty weeks I know is a long time
And I still sit here skulking around.
Make myself busy, I hear myself chime.
I pick up my child and put aside my frown.

I have mopped the floors
And put the house up for sale
My muscles are sore
But my heart is less pale

I have an aging calendar on the wall
That marks the time since he departed
A happy face shines on days he’s called,
The pain stays with me knowing he’s just started

He tells me stories of long-distance running,
Of pushups, sit-ups, and bodybuilders aplenty
While I tell him something of my morning
Making breakfast, doing laundry, and picking up toys time 20.

Spanish is fast becoming his largest threat
Those idioms and tenses seem beyond his scope
His grades are slipping and he is upset
I wish him the best and offer my hope.

If he passes, or if he fails
Let the earth and sky up above
Know that whatever entails,
He will always have my love.

Tests all passed and O-course complete
We await word from him on how he did
He screams in the phone, “Come see me!”
Sounding much like one of our kids.

The chubby guy I loved is no more,
Stout and thin, he strode up to me
His pride you cannot ignore
As he is given his badge for the BP

Our life is packed in small boxes
Headed for a new home in the southwest
I'm ready for it all, although the children are obnoxious
“Mom, I don’t want to go, this school is the best…”

He toils long hours for the first months there
Studying for his 7 and 10-month exams
Muddy shoes are shined, he has short cut hair
Working hard each day to meet the job’s demands

The children and I are somewhat alone
As we struggle to find our place
Out neighbors are nice and help make this a home
But, I can’t wait ‘til my husband can slow his pace.

The wives of other BP agents
Are there to help us fit in out here
They give us helpful hints
And help dry some tears.

Now the time has come
His probation has ended
It is our time in the sun
He now keeps our borders defended

We counted the days through Security
Then counted the days to EOD
Each time my love was by my side
My Good-looking groom / My beloved bride.

Wrote by: BETROMBLEY