Del "Abe" Jones

Del "Abe" Jones was born in Indio, California in 1941. He served in the USAF '58-'61 at Fairchild AFB, WA in the 92nd Combat Defense Squadron, K9 Corps. He has four children and eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren who reside in Washington State. He worked in the sheet metal industry on Disney World and other large projects around the Country. After a disastrous three story fall on a construction project in Tacoma in 1974 he began doing Cad HVAC design work. He retired from the trade in 2003.

 

He began writing poetry in the early eighties and has self-published four books. He donated profits from "The World, War, Freedom, And More" to the families of Tennessee National Guardsmen who fought in Desert Storm. He has had additional poems published in various publications around the country as well as reading and being interviewed on television and radio. He was asked to recite "The Wall", a poem he wrote about the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. at the dedication of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Orlando, Florida. Two of his poems are etched on the Ellis County Veteran's Memorial in Waxahachie, Texas, dedicated Veteran's Day, 2002. His poem, “The Never Ending Trail” about the Cherokee Trail Of Tears

has been used in classrooms across the Nation and abroad. He came to Nashville in 1984 hoping to write song lyrics.

 

"Mankind's greatest accomplishment
is not the revolution of technology
it is the evolution of creativity"
copyright Del "Abe" Jones 1984

 

More of Abe's writing can be found on these links:

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/delabejones/page2.html (newer stuff)

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/delabejones/page1.html (9/11 Memoriam)

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/delabejones/instant/memorial.html (older stuff - updated 5-18-04)

http://iwvpa.net/jonesd/ Australian Military poetry site created and maintained by a great Aussie, Anthony Pahl.

 

His books:

New (and old) books, "OF NATIVE AMERICAN", and "MOONTIDES, AND OTHER CHANGES" as well as "THE WORLD, WAR, FREEDOM, AND MORE" are now available for free viewing or download in text format at http://home.att.net/~abeabe/index.html

To see pictures of Ellis County Veterans Memorial in Waxahachie, Texas where two poems are inscribed go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~txellis/photos/veterans.htm

Contact Abe at abeabe@bellsouth.att.net to comment and to ask to be placed on his poetry emailing list.

 

 

Spent a couple nights at Bull Run/Manassas Battlefield campground in  a couple years ago and the Spirits were surely all around.

TIME TO GO  

 

I could see the flash of cannon

Over the ridge of the hill

Could hear the shots over my head

As I lay deathly still.

 

I looked up at the twinkling stars

Through the haze of the gunsmoke

And I could hear my comrades

Whispering as they spoke.

 

There was a quaking in their voice

That betrayed their mortal fear

And as I gazed into the sky

I asked, "What am I doing here?"

 

I thought of all those buddies

Killed on this foreign shore

And of loved ones back home

And then, I knew, "What for!"

 

To fight for God and Country

Is a calling, most will heed

To keep freedom safe from those

Who would plant an evil seed.

 

I lay there in my foxhole

Gripped by the numbing cold

But then, felt a warmth, from inside

Like I was held in the "fold".

 

I felt my best friend touch me

And couldn't believe he said,

"No need to call the corpsman,

'Cause he's already dead!"

 

And then my head felt light

As I looked down below,

Whispered, "I'll see ya', Bros

Because it's time for me to go!"

 

© Del “Abe” Jones

 
 

GHOSTS OF BULL RUN 

 

I'd heard about "Bull Run"

Maybe, back in school

But, spending some time there

Was, a special learning tool.

 

I could feel the Souls

There was something in the air

The life and death of struggle

Is some, sensation, there.

 

An aura of the ghosts

All around Manassas

A feel of all those beings

Of those warring classes.

 

Another tragic wartime

With brother fighting brother

As each cry with dying breath

"Oh, Mother, dear Mother!"

 

You can almost hear the cannons

With their booming sounds

And the whirring of the slugs

From all those killing rounds.

 

Hiding 'hind a rock

Or, under a sloping hill

Hoping, not, to get shot

Or aiming for the kill.

 

It seems so peaceful now

But, some Souls not at rest

Are waiting in the shadows

To, pass the final test.

 

History lessons never teach

All of the things, they could

And wars don't make the pain

Felt/hurt like it should.

 

Del “Abe” Jones

5-27-2003

Bull Run / Manassas Battlefield, VA

Produced by:
 Fort Attaway Preservation Society, Inc.
1202 Desoto Avenue, Rome, GA 30165  (706)234-0537
f_marlin@bellsouth.net