In the darkness of night a man’s mind fell into the waste of what was,

The deniable became undeniable in his mind as he asked it what she does,

It’s alright my love, she said, I know you’ve heard it all before but now no more,

It’s all right my love is all he heard, his poor heart fell apart the day before,

In a desperate mind there’s something living deep inside that brings a little hope,

You and me oh Lord, oh help me please my dear Lord, I won’t use that old rope,

Everything she meant to me became a misstep into my lost hopes of a love eternity,

I never stood a chance he thought as he prayed and got down on one knee,

The sculpted angel stool taller than life reaching out to the heavens above,

Sculpted marble to reach heaven above as a representation of a senior girl he loves,

The rope within the Angel’s grasp seems so out of place for an angel to hold,

As he chipped away year after year he grew weary year by year until very old,

His heart loved the image he had traced year after year and day after lonely day,

Told to stay away so he did as told yet he knew her image after tracing it every way,

The feces-stained photos showed the wear across her long dark beautiful hair,

He had worn her image within while detained and she appeared as real over there,

Each night he walked the streets asking everyone and anyone if they had seen her,

The vision of a marksman had faded in a lifetime to become nothing but a blur,

Yet the love of a lifetime transferred to his fingertips to sculpt the last love he’d held,

An angel sculpted with wings so spread that he could stand inside to feel them meld,

Have you seen her? The poor soul would ask and those that knew said yes,

They would tell the beaten warrior that she was beautiful and they could only guess,

Maybe she is in Oklahoma with her parents getting the farm ready, my old friend,

That seems to satisfy his broken soul as he walked on home singing “against the wind,”

A few that asked why he never saw her when he came home just heard “because,”

They dig a little deeper and ask their old friend to hear “it musta been my flaws,”

He never made it home that night as a rejected brother walked through town that night,

The nickname “because” stuck to him but most knew he had just lost his fight,

Unknown to him the angel in heart had searched him out but he wasn’t there,

For years the beautiful angel searched for him as she left home to search everywhere,

Each place he had been she would be but each time it seemed a little too late,

The things she wanted to hide never needed to be hidden because of changed fate,

He started his sculpture with hope singing, “someday lady you’ll accompany me,”

Those that didn’t know him thought he sang to sing because he was half crazy,

The dreams of a lost warrior still filled his soul as he bought stone to sculpt alone,

Soon the marble was massive and through the night he’d sing Bob Seger all alone,

“Against the wind, I remember what she said to me as she held me oh so tight,”

“Against the wind we were running against the wind,” he sang into each lonely night,

The strangers once his friends were no longer that as they threw stones as once before,

He fell apart when no one greeted him upon discharge, he just couldn’t take anymore,

He sang”I remember when she said to me and swore it never would end, I wish I didn’t know”,

A line in the song he never finished and everyone wondered what is was from long ago,

A dark night when reveal of the statue came to be someone wondered where’s old “because,”

Found touching her face as he had finished the most beautiful angel titled “My Angel that Was,”

The smile upon his face said he had found the angel of his broken heart,

He touched her face as he had in dreams while the enemy tried to pull him apart,

The shackles upon his ankles were never understood but an entering older woman knew,

She cried out, “oh, Pat, it’s so beautiful, I’m here, I’m so sorry, I’m still in love with you,”

Down on Main Street softly played from somewhere as she passed away that night,

A legend of love came to be as a story of love was named, “when lovers finally unite,”

At the end of Main and Roosevelt, an old building fell down and the statue was placed,

So beautiful the statue is with his shackles placed for all to remember the hell he faced.

The end, by Pat for you Patti.

I’m glad you found me, I love you.

I realize that without you I am nothing.