The Wall – v3

Maybe those who believe

A piece of your soul Is stolen

with each photograph taken

Are right, at it seemed so

in this moment there at the Wall.

Reflecting back over the years,

Looking at her tortured face

In that static image,

I wonder. I hope not, for my sake

for her sake as well.

Hard to contemplate

so many stolen moments

Pieces of others’ lives captured

By lenses, the film’s emulsion

Now sitting in dust covered albums,

yellowed envelopes and crooked frames.

She stood hunched over, frozen

Jaw clenched and hands knitted,

Holding or hugging herself

Against her chill that July

staring, frozen, before the Wall.

Paralyzed by her private pain

Writ large there in public, on the Mall

Countless others had and have since

Faced their own demons

staring at these names.

In that monument’s polished black marble

(I have seen them, crying, overcome)

For twenty minutes or a little less

I watched her pilgrimage, her prayer

not crossing at distance.

A stranger motionless that stopped me

That held my attention

And the camera’s gaze before me.

I was a unwitting voyeur,

her unwelcome confidant.

She stood too near the names

To turn away;

But her feet and legs

Couldn’t carry her slight frame forward

to touch the stone, as she wanted.

She longed to reach out

To touch the past before her; but,

The walkway before her still,

I imagine, these many years later

never to be breached.

edited November 11, 2014

The Wall – v3

edited May 28, 2014

The Wall – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-wall-v2.html

posted February 14, 2004

The Wall

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/02/wall.html

June 22, 2001

===

edited May 27, 2014

“In the Rain, in that Place – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/in-rain-in-that-place-v2_27.html

edited May 26, 2014

“In the Rain, in that Place – v2”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/in-rain-in-that-place-v2.html

Memorial Day

November 11, 2010

“In the Rain, in that Place”

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-rain-in-that-place.html

Veteran’s Day 2010

and remembering being

at the Vietnam Memorial

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

www.vvmf.org

during the 10^th anniversary

Veteran’s Day 1992

&

edited May 27, 2014

Left at the Wall – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/left-at-wall-v3.html

Edited May 26, 2014

Left at the Wall – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/05/left-at-wall-v2.html

Memorial Day

August 5, 2006 18:05

Left at the Wall

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2006/08/left-at-wall.html

&

All of my Veteran’s Day poems

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/search/label/Veteran%E2%80%99s%20Day

&

All of my Memorial Day poems

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/search/label/Memorial%20Day

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 33,470+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.