Remembrance Forgotten?
The cold wind cuts through my winter coat,
As the fallen leaves blow before the wreaths.
A trumpet plays a soulful sadness,
Hushing everything but nature.
"Saunders Remembers" proclaims a banner,
The old man snaps to attention, medals clink.
A glistening tear traces a memory.
Silence starts with the bowing of heads,
Memories stir.
The old men stand looking back.
The young stand too, seeking courage.
My memories aren’t dark and horrible,
But he remembers another time and place.
A glistening tear traces a memory.
I remember stories told of bravery and death,
He stands and remembers Bravery and Death.
We played soldiers.
He watched men die and prayed for silence.
I remember History lessons taught in school,
He recalls the faces and the orders given.
A glistening tear traces a memory.
Where is the promise of Remembrance,
Made to all the generations,
To secure a future of Reconciliation?
All our children must be saved.
But a newspaper blows against his leg,
And the front page? A bloody conflict.
And our tears trace the memory of the Promise.
Please feel free to pass this poem on to
remind others that war is wrong.
Benjamin J. Bright
November 11, 2001