Iva's Story

In 1990, my Grandpa passed away,
He had a good life, he was 80 years old
Wide eyed, I'd listen to every word he'd say,
I relived every precious story that he told

Such history of America, he was witness to ,
He was a poet, and oh the tales he told
He had a way of getting your story from you,
He cared and that’s what made him gold

In his attic, there was boxes stacked high,
And tenderly, I went through each and everyone
I came upon a story, and this story made me cry,
It was a story of an American son

In 1930, he talked to a woman of age,
Iva Jean Rogers was her name
Her story gripped me, it poured from every page,
And I know that I will never be the same

She was 10 years old in eighteen hundred fifty four,
The oldest child of 3 brothers in tow
Her mother, dying, with the last child she bore,
She, the only mother that they would know

One day while hanging the wash on the line,
She saw an awful looking horse run by
Then "Herb" she heard from a boy age of 9,
"Come back here" she heard him cry

And then he saw her, and his cheeks turned red,
Her "Giggle", she tried to hide with her hand
He was so embarrassed, he wished he was dead,
For Herb wouldn't obey his command

Then he stopped, and stood straight, proud & tall,
And she saw beauty in his droopy, blue eyes
"I'm Charles Marion Dantry, I'm from Witchita",
"I live a mile or so from here as the crow flies"

"We bought the old Taylor, farm just up the way",
And her heart, within her skipped a beat
"I'm Iva Jean", somehow she managed to say,
Standing there sweating in the summer heat

"Are you thirsty Charlie? Want something to drink?",
He smiled, and at that moment she knew
Charlie was neverous, yet all he could think,
She was so beautiful in her dress of blue

They became friends, this girl and this boy,
They found a place down on Primrose Creek
And there it was magic, in a moment of joy ,
He softly gave her a kiss on her cheek

He would tell her his dreams, with starry eyes,
Beneath an old, and shady Oak tree
He'd skip rocks in the creek, under blue skies,
They were young, and innocent, and free

But the world around them grew troubled & grey,
There were lines in the sand being drawn
President Buchanan, was struggling everyday,
Civil war, was awaiting the dawn

It was at this moment, Iva excused herself,
She asked Grandpa, if he would like a cup of tea
She retrieved a picture, in a frame on a shelf,
She told Grandpa, there was something he must see

A gathering of people, in an old town square,
All dressed up in their Sunday best
Women in bonnets, spiral curls in their hair,
Men in bowlers, pocket watches in their vest

There was Abe Lincoln, no beard on his face,
Standing tall with his first boldly in the air
It was the 1860 Presidential race,
And it appeared that everyone was there

She was only 16, on that long ago, summer day,
She told Grandpa, as tears filled her eyes
Such anger in the crowd, as Lincoln had his say,
Clouds of war, was filling the skies

She remembered how fear, started growing inside,
From that moment, a child’s innocence was lost
She remembered thinking that such foolish pride,
Would surely be paid for ,at a terrible cost

Charlie had become a big part of her life,
He was a dreamer, he was kind, he was true
As he spoke of a day that he'd make her his wife,
She was lost in his beautiful droopy eyes of blue

Early one morning she heard someone ringing a bell,
There something wrong with that ominous sound
It was disturbing, like an invitation to hell,
People were running, they came from all around

Trying to ignore it, she continued with her chores,
And the morning agonizingly passed by
While mending socks, she herd a knock at the door,
There stood Charlie, A crazed look in his eye

"Iva Jean my love, Fort Sumter has fallen",
"And they say that there is to be war"
"Able bodied men, for volunteers they are callen",
"For men willing to go settle the score"

She begged him, "Come in, please have a seat!",
She felt a chill, for as she looked at him she knew
"Please, my darling, have something to eat",
"Then let's go sit under the Oak when your through"

But Charlie just stood there, then he touched her face,
And she knew in her heart what he had done
Tears filled her eyes, her loving heart began to race,
She had lost him to a war that can't be won

He wrapped his arms around her, he held her tight,
He said, " I'm sorry, but it's something I must do"
"No matter where I am, I shall face the lonely night",
"With loving thoughts, and a warm memory of you"

He kissed her warmly, then turned around to go,
He came as a boy, yet leaving her as a man
"Charles Marion Dantry!" she cried, " I want you to know!",
"I love you, come back to me, please, if you can"

Through her tears she watched ,as he passed from her sight,
She fell down on her knees, and began to pray
And she begged of God screaming, with all her might,
Keep him safe, bring him home to me one day

An old Iva Jean with tears falling from her eyes,
Looked at Grandpa, his heart broke with her pain
The poet in him hurt, with her sorrowful cries,
As her tears fell, like a spring time rain

She said "At Antietam, my Charlie died",
"And I never loved anyone, since that day"
"I've been so lonely, with no one by my side",
"And looking back, I'd have it no other way"

"Now with that picture, look close and you'll see",
"To the left of Mr. Lincoln, right there"
"See that young girl, that young girl is me",
"The one with spiral curls in her hair"

"And that boy beside me, with those droopy blue eyes",
"That’s my Charlie, in his forever young, and innocent way"
"He lives about a mile or so, you know, as the crow flies"
"And he has been with me, each and every day!".