R. A. CAMARO
VietNam Veteran
Author

Be It Known To All,

I as a veteran_____________ __________,
being of sound disposing mind and memory,
do now make this my last will and testament,
in order, as justly as I may,
to distribute my interests in the world among succeeding men.

And 1st, that part of my interests which is known among men
and recognized in the sheep bound volumes of law
as my property, being inconsiderable of none account,
I make no account of this in my will.

My right to live, it being but a life estate,
is not at my disposal, but these things expected,
all else in the world
I now proceed to devise and bequeath.

Item-and 1st, I give to the good fathers and mothers,
but in trust for their children,
never the less all good words of praise
and all quaint pet names,
and I charge said parents to use them justly
but generously
as the needs of their children shall require.

Item II,

I leave to the children exclusively,
but only for the life of their childhood,
all and every one of the dandelions of the fields
and the daisies thereof,
with the right to play among them freely,
according to the custom of children,
warning at the same time against the thistles.
And I devise to children
the yellow shores of creeks
and the golden sands beneath the waters thereof,
with the dragon flies that skim the surface of said waters,
and the white clouds that float high over the giant trees.

And I leave to the children
the long, long days to be merry in,
in a thousand ways,
and the night and the moon and the train of the milky way to wonder at,
but subject, never the less,
to the rights here in after given to lovers;
and I give to each child the right to choose a star that shall be his,
and I direct that the child's father
shall tell him the name of it,
in order that the child shall always remember
the name of that star after he has learned
and forgotten astronomy.

Item III,

I devise to the boys
jointly all the useful idle fields
and commons where he may coast,
all streams and ponds
where one may skate or fish,
to have and to hold the same
for the period of their boyhood.
And all meadows, with the clover blooms
and butterflies thereof;
and all woods,
with the appurtenances of squirrels
and whirring birds
and echoes and strange noises;
and all distant places which may be visited,
together with the adventures there found,
I do give to said boys
each in his own place at the campfires at night,
with all the pictures that may be seen in the burning wood or coals,
to enjoy
without let or hindrance
and without any encumbrance or cares.

Item IV,

To lovers
I devise their imaginary world,
with whatever they may need,
as the stars of the sky,
the red, red roses by the wall,
the snow of the hawthorn,
the sweet strains of music,
or what else they may desire
to figure to each other,
the lastingness and beauty of their love.

Item V,

To the young men jointly,
being joined in a brave, mad crowd,
I devise and bequeath all boisterous,
inspiring sports of rivalry.
I give to them the disdain of weakness
and undaunted confidence in their own strength.
Though they are rude and rough,
I leave to them alone
the power of making lasting friendships
and of possessing companions
and to them exclusively
I shall give all merry songs
and brave choruses to sing,
with smooth voices to troll them forth.

Item VI,

And to those who are no longer children
or youth
or lovers
I leave memory,
and I leave to them
the volumes of poems,
songs
and ideals,
to the end
that they may live the old days
over and over again
freely and fully,
without title or diminution;
and to those who are no longer children
or youths
or lovers
I leave too, the knowledge of what a rare,
rare world it is.

Item VII,

And to the veterans of the past
and current wars
or conflicts,
the peace,
so desired by both opponents,
and may the horrors of war remain locked in Pandora's Box,
and not the time spent for sleep,
temporary or permanent.

To the wounds,
both mental and physical,
incurred from such senseless disputes,
allow them to be treated as

HEROES

and with the full dignity they deserve forever."

Please DO NOT TAKE Mr. Camaro's work
from this webpage
without his written permission.

R.A.Camaro
Click on his name directly above to email him.

PANDORA'S BOX
You may purchase a copy of R.A. Camaro's book
Pandora's Box
by clicking on it.

Touch the heart,
to read another article written by R.A. Camaro.


NIGHTMARES
Also written by R. A. Camaro
LINK
Posted at Veterans Information Site

All Rights Reserved by R. A. Camaro

This page created: August 29, 1999.

Thank-you,R.A. Camaro for your military service
and for allowing me to post your words.
~ Laura

Building partnerships
veterans
and
school children.
Lincoln, Illinois


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