Tuesday, November 11, 2014

In the Rain, in that Place – v4

I remember one Veteran’s Day,
I will never forget it,
on the Mall in Washington, by the Wall,
more than twenty years ago now
(where has the time flown)
late at night, that whole weekend,
the stillness, the tears, quiet,
muffled silence, reading all the names,
the overwhelming consequence
in the rain, in that place

Ten years after, the arguments,
the continuing struggle,
the scar cut into the land
the controversy, the Wall,
names written in stone
those who fell so far away
in the jungles of Vietnam
their spirits coming home
to this piece of hallowed ground
where their names are remembered

Tears of strong men, a dam burst,
falling to the ground, pulled by gravity
these men, their brothers, these veterans
who answered their country’s call
falling in the rain in this place
on this holy ground, pain,
overcome by emotion
the power of this place
Kneeling by the Wall
remembering the bloodshed
the chaos, in those foreign lands


===
edited November 11, 2014
In the Rain, in that Place – v4

Veteran’s Day
edited May 27, 2014
“In the Rain, in that Place – v3
edited May 26, 2014
“In the Rain, in that Place – v2”
Memorial Day
November 11, 2010
“In the Rain, in that Place”
Veteran’s Day 2010
and remembering being
at the Vietnam Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
during the 10th anniversary
Veteran’s Day 1992
&
edited May 27, 2014
Left at the Wall – v3
Edited May 26, 2014
Left at the Wall – v2
Memorial Day
August 5, 2006 18:05
Left at the Wall
&
All of my Veteran’s Day poems
&
All of my Memorial Day poems

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 33,480+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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