When I was a young man
I wondered why Grandpa wore suspenders
Now that I am older I realize
It was to hold his pants up
Grandpa always saluted the flag
Even though never in the service
It was to honor those who did serve
One day I asked Grandpa
"They drive by our house and call you names."
"They paint your cars and call you a Communist."
It was the cold war against Russia
"I am a Socialist and proud to be."
"What is a Socialist?"
"I work and make good wages some do not.
I feel it is my job to take care of the poor."
"But that Russian lady that Japanese lady
Were we not at war with Germany and Japan?"
"Punky these are American Japanese Germans,
Black Americans it is not up to me to judge."
Each night the poor came at night to Grandpa's door
In a ledger I wrote down sugar, eggs, Flower
The late forties the early fifties
I said Grandpa some kids hate me at school
The call me names that I am a Communist
Punky it is up to Jesus to judge not them
This is when as a boy I decided to serve in the military
Yes Grandpa was a stubborn old man
But I learned allot from my Grandpa
That all people are the same as me and some uneducated
Grandpa saluted me the day I left for bootcamp
Many of those calling me names were preparing to move to Canada
That way they could avoid having to serve their country