A Tribute to The Young Angry Man by Kort Butler

In the dust of my father’s workshop,
Stands a photograph without color,
It is a young man,
Just returned from Vietnam,
With a furrowed forehead and set jaw,
He returns an accusatory glare.

 

I was eight when I asked my father
Who is that man in the photo?
That’s Bud after Vietnam
Why is it here and not the house?
Because it won’t lose meaning here
The shop is where I create
I do not destroy in the shop
Here I am reminded that I was a young man
Filled with spite, anger, and jealousy
Disillusioned with the world and its state
To me that photo is more than Bud and Vietnam
It represents every angry insecure young man
When you’re older you’ll understand
This Tribute to The Young Angry Man