Winter,
it’s cold, harsh
and snowy,
but we’re outside
camping
in our little green tents.

Philip is here,
to teach us how to
survive.
He made us a fire
and we’re huddled around
like a pack of penguins.
He taught us how,
but we failed.
He showed us how to use our
pocket knives,
and how they were our
best tools to live.

Philip was always there
to help me,
but now he’s gone
becoming a marine.
He’s left to become
a hero,
my hero.

He taught me much,
and I looked up to him
alone.
No one else
was as impacted by him
as me,
but now
he’s gone.

He left his home
to serve his country.
He returned two weeks later
not as Philip,
but as a hero
who made
the ultimate sacrifice.

Philip is
gone, but his spirit
stays with us.
He taught me
to rely on myself
and I will never
forget him.