My name is Evan W. Jones the author of Rise from the Ashes. This book is a prelude from Rise from the Ashes, and you will read a mixture of poetry that I have written from my lessons of life. All of which are from military, law enforcement, relation to religion, family and love. LESSONS OF LIFE By Evan W. Jones AuthorHouse Copyright © 2013 Evan W. Jones All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4918-3174-8 CHAPTER 1 The Warrior A life of solitude Training for that day Being the best of the best With minor flaws Living without fear And fearing not even death, Knowing death will come, In time we will prevail without Due caution, Mist of battle our soul will raise victorious, Knowing this life of solitude is meant for the free I open These eyes grow weak, Strain to see thy door, Trickle of light, dust filters in, I open Thy foot walks cautious, To feel light warmth thee life, I open Thy chains rustic, Smelt of freedom Wounds of captivity Sour thy light I open Reaching, knees weak Prayers answered Hunger thy breathe, Finally, we are not forgotten To some have been POW/MIA Live or Die Live to the fullest Standing on the edge Never to second guess my enemy Train for extremes Living that day, By countless moments Walking deaths rail, Live or die Example to live by Knowing one self, better for Enemies to guess Train your mind, never give up Live to the fullest, Smile at deaths door. Damn Few They are elite Hardest trials to become one, They give all Small fighting force Covering the globe, Frogmen they are called Warriors of the sea Code of honor Humble they may be The damn few Code of ethics they live Brother for brother They are the best of the best Damn few Darkness We sit here waiting Staring into darkness Waiting for the sound Sky lights as 4th of July Focusing on shadows, Target, Running for cover Shot rings out He falls, Darkness We sit here waiting. Mile I walk the miles, Seen shore lines Experiences of gold Smelt death in many ways Held many dying breaths Looked upon countless reminders Scars and tatts' remind why, I had to do it Take the souls of others By these hands What reminds I breathe the air as I take your last I walk the miles, though you can't I pray Close my eyes Pray thy lord my soul Sounds of battle rage Escape my vast, Nightmares begin of terror Night engulf of sweat Grasps the air, Fallen to unmark grave Thom of hero's Never return Pray thy lord, take away Pain a waits, I awake in hell. Welcome Home The bagpipes play A flag draped Twelve men stand lean, As people stand in line, That never knew the brave soul A hero, home finally Ashes to ashes, dust to dust Tears of sorrow This brave man fell Shots ring out, taps played His pain rested Children salute, as his coffin passes Welcome home son Stand at ease Homeless Weather is cold and harsh I pull this holey blanket near, Eat my last can of food My clothes smell of 30 day stench, This bottle is dry 40 gallon burns off in the night, I sleep with one eye open To watch thieves of the night, I wonder if I still awake. I once protected this land Now I beg for a dollar. To homeless vets The Battle Wars are fought throughout time, The battle never ends there, For those that know By scars on the outside, To the ones that are hidden, We fought to bleed for freedom The freedom that has no time for vets We lose so many to images That haunts us daily, Guilt, rage, and the unknown By this in ones eye fighting with nightmares, Others will never understand We fought the wars For our brothers Coming home is the beginning for us. PTSD Never forget the sacrifice of those who fought for it. Pray My knees are worn Tears have dried Some answered Some ignored, Are they really answered? Pamphlets handed out For a higher power, Pray harder, you will be Answered they say, My eyes grow weary To the ones that do others wrong, As they are blessed, I faultier by disappointment But I still pray, May we be answered? Faith What is faith? Is it a spirit? Is it making believe? Is it what we need to live? To grow, for energy, to fantasize for Could it be a metaphor? Faith is