Middle Of The Road
John, John, get off of that road-now…
That was the last voice John heard that night and in fact, for any other night. That was the last voice Johnny Mac heard forever.
He knew better than that to get himself hung out in the middle of the road like that. It’s one thing when it’s pitch dark out not when you’ve got a full moon coming in and out of the clouds like they were. How could he be so stupid? 
Yeah, short timers, they are down to a few weeks and won’t take any chances at all, trying to play it safe and they wind up getting their heads shot off. But John, he knew better than that. Plus, he was no short timer. The only place his butt was going was to the front. As John would say, “On to the Rhine, just in time”, that’s what John would say. Not tonight though, no not any night, not anymore.
“Roll call”, sarge said, “Okay, I need some volunteers for tonights patrol, you, you and you. And Johnny Mac you lead them out. Get it together, your leaving in ten minutes. Let’s move it.”
Well there you go, once again Johnny boy moves up front with four new boys, but he doesn’t have to put himself up front and not out in the middle of the road. Damn! Too late now. What am I going to write to his ma now? What am I going to write to his wife Peggy and that new baby of theirs? Some guys, they have nothing to lose really. Then others, like Johnny, heck they got their whole lives ahead of them. But you never know what’s burning deep down in their guts, what’s playing in their minds over and over when they should be getting some sleep.
Damn, think I’ll let the sarge write this letter.
When Synapses Go Bad 