The Boy Enlists

His mother's eyes are saddened, and her cheeks are stained with tears, And I'm facing now the struggle that I've dreaded through the years; For the boy that was our baby has been changed into a man. He's enlisted in the army as a true American. He held her for a moment in his arms before he spoke, And I watched him as he kissed her, and it seemed to me I'd choke, For I knew just what was coming, and I knew just what he'd done! 'Another little mother had a soldier for a son. When we'd pulled ourselves together, and the first quick tears had dried, We could see his eyes were blazing with the fire of manly pride; We could see his head was higher than it ever was before, For we had a man to cherish, and our baby was no more. Oh, I don't know how to say it! With the sorrow comes the joy That there isn't any coward in the make-up of our boy. And with pride our hearts are swelling, though with grief they're also hit, For the boy that was our baby has stepped forth to do his bit,