“Not on My Watch” |

by Jerry Staub

Carted into triage on a blood-soaked stretcher,
a young infantryman lies at Death’s door.
An orderly briefly looked him over,
and said, “for him, we can do no more!”

The surgeon standing there sadly concurred,
“he’s lost too much blood, vitals are weak,
he’s hanging by a thread, he hasn’t stirred.
We need the bed for others; his outlook’s bleak.”

A young army nurse had him moved
to an open cot just off to the side.
There his bandages she gently removed,
tending to wounds, while loving care she plied.

After several days within the reach of death,
he awoke to an angel peering down, above his head.
Whispering, he said, “I thought I’d taken my last breath!”
She smiled; “Not on my watch,” was all she said.

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Jerry Staub retired from the Computer Industry in 2005 after a 32-year career as a Product/Marketing Manager. He has an MBA from Pepperdine University and taught various college business courses for 9 years in Southern California. He served in the California National Guard from 1969 – 1975. Now he and his wife of 44 years reside in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with their 3 four-legged children, Lola, Jed, and Sasha. He has published three books of poetry, including his most recent title, They Bravely Fought, in September 2023. His primary interest is writing patriotic and military-themed poetry.

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