My Daddy's gone away to war,

They said he was deployed,

I am my Mommy's man now,

Though I'm just a little boy.

I'm not sure how long wars last,

Or how long he will be gone,

As long as it takes, I heard him say,

At least, that's what he told Mom.

I've played a lot of war games,

With my friend, who lives next door,

And when one of us gets dead,

We don't play war anymore.

Daddy says he won't get dead,

And he told us not to worry,

He'd do his job and get back home,

And he'd do it in a hurry.

I believe my Dad and what he says,

Though I still may worry some,

You know, they use real bullets there,

When the soldiers shoot their guns.

It's not like my friend and I,

Our war is just pretend,

But Daddy's war is really real,

Mom says to pray for it to end.

Dear God, protect my Daddy,

And other people in this fight,

They don't like to shoot each other,

So, how come war is right?

Bring my Daddy back home safely,

Please let Mommy smile some more,

Make everyone be friends again,

And, dear God, please end my Daddy's war.

© 2003 Virginia (Ginny) Ellis