For TSgt Glenn P. "Rocco" Lastes

I wrote a poem for my friend and long time aquaintance, TSgt Glenn P. "Rocco" Lastes, who was tragically lost in an AF SPEC-OPS plane crash on 30 March, 2005 near Tirana, Albania. Rocco was a special operator first, and one of my very first supervisors during the heady days of the mid 80s. Rocco was one of the good ones. We shall never forget. May God bless Rocco and his family in South Carolina, and may God Bless the eight other patriots lost in this tragedy. The Offical Account

A life shuttered down,
Like a secret untold,
Like sunlight not beaming,
Like breezes not blown,

Stopped in its stride,
The last moment stands still,
We float off in its wake,
Left to ponder God’s will,

Only the daring,
And those with truly brave souls,
Submit them selves to the thunder,
That infrequently rolls,

But when it does visit,
Bringing its terrible might,
It dashes the gallant,
And stains us all with its blight,

Peace now brother carry,
The end of turbulence nigh,
We see you perfectly laughing,
In our teary mind’s eye,

We will never forget,
For you are never too far,
We see you like a light in the dark sky,
As one of God’s shooting stars.

Fly safe now.