Memorial

Folder: 
book 13

Dark clouds scuttle heavy and full

     cold wind biting at the exposed flesh

brown grass crusted with rotten snow

     abandoned Park ignored by those passing by

 

often passing fleeing quickly by

     thoughts of the meaning rotting deep inside

feelings long festered buried deep within

     fear of them escaping and being then expressed

 

eyes still riveted in this passing by

     aching heart swollen needing to be there

pausing in the journey turning in alone

     emptiness waiting abandoned by them all

 

footsteps halting accented by tapping cane

     hesitantly approaching what does there lie

downward cast looking wanting not to see

     fearfully gazing at last on what lies there

 

cold stone line emboss with tarnished brass

     forgotten words stated speaking of the loss

memories are not captured here in what does lie

     pain wrote within the soul of the gazing eye

 

cane falls from fingers numb clatters to the ground

     lie in there at the feet in the now

 

of long walks to the school

     learning of forgotten wars

playground games of baseball

     against the other team

 

neighborhood boys together played

     in the street in front of our homes

of the dreams in high school

     that would never be

 

TV watching as numbers called

     deciding each of our fates

families crying in despair

     at numbers way too low

 

childhood friends too young to be men

     marching off to war

evening news watched by all

     of the awful toll

 

trembling as the tears rolled down

     choking back the sobs

bending down to lift the cane

     and turn and stumble away

 

forgotten now names etched in brass

     faded memories now torn a new

blood in memory does flow

    

View seeker's Full Portfolio