Morning for Roger

Roger liked to play guitar,

but he couldn't play very well

so he sometimes hung around the few of us

who thought we could teach him something.

We couldn't.

It wasn't that he was incapable.

We just sucked.

Roger liked to laugh

and always had a joke to tell

while making his rounds

as the Auxiliary Electrician,

as they like to say in the Navy,

when a guy is non-nuclear trained,

but is an electrician.

Roger liked to play Hearts

and used to deal the cards

to the early hours of the morning,

though morning is just a figment of your imagination

when you ride a submarine for a living.

Roger was never pretentious

even though he was his group's Leading Petty Officer,

as they like to say in the Navy,

when a guy is a supervisor.

He just lived his life

and laughed his laugh

and everyone enjoyed his company.

Roger was out on the town one night,

laughing his laugh and enjoying life,

and decided to go across the street

with the rest of his buddies

and subordinates,

as they like to say in the Navy,

when a guy hangs out with friends

who happen to have a lesser rank than him.

Roger never saw the headlights of the car

as he was crossing the road

in the small Georgia town of Kings Bay

where the USS Casimir Pulaski

was docked for refit,

as they like to say in the Navy,

when a guy works with his friends

to make a submarine ready

to destroy the world.

Roger died there in the street.

Then the sun came up the next morning,

though mourning is just a figment of your imagination

when you ride a submarine for a living.

Copyright Greg Weaver 2000