Black Eyes and Golden Gloves
by Marilyn Schnepp Johnny O'Keefe Was a sweet little lad, A joy to his mother And the pride of his Dad. But that sweet little boy Seemed to change overnight When he started to school And learned how to fight. Every day he'd come home With tattered clothes, A big black eye And a bloody nose. His mother would plead, "Johnny, please don't fight!" Then she'd bandage his 'hurts' And hug him tight. "But, Mama", he'd say, "I've got to be me, I want to be a fighter Like Muhammad Ali." Well, twelve years later At the Madison Square, He won his Golden Gloves At the Championship there! Then he got married To his sweetheart Sue; And became a fire-fighter, And the father of two. His father and mother Were ever so proud, That NOW his black eyes Came from soot in a cloud. But then came September Two thousand and one; On the most terrible day Under planet Earth's sun. When Johnny, the firefighter, Kicked in a door; And dashed up a stairwell To the twenty first floor. Then an Angel flew down And hugged Johnny tight: Like his mother used to do When he'd lost a fight! Then he cradled her Johnny Under one silver wing... And flew him to heaven To meet the True King. And at Madison Square Garden, There hangs a black wreath; "In Memory of our Champion, John Harley O'Keefe." Can be reached at [email protected] Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |
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