Thank You Veterans
Journey’s End
Two thousand miles from home.
Leather jacket, bandanna, beard, his weathered face, eyes full of purpose.
He rides the old Harley through the crowded streets.
He guides it carefully into the lot.
Next to the cherished bike he removes his goggles and looks toward the setting sun.
He reaches into the saddlebag and finds it.
Precious.
The others, leaving, look at him. He does not look back.
Not afraid. They are grateful.
He walks, quietly, deliberately, until he finds the place.
The bandanna comes off, gripped tightly in his big hand.
He looks.
The names.
Not that one. Not that one. No . . .
There he is.
Shaking.
Out of his pocket, it comes.
He brought it here, to leave at the wall.
The Purple Heart.
And then . . . He weeps.
Columbus, OH, Ohio, Veteran’s Day, Vietnam Wall, Vietnam Memorial
November 12th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
[...] Anyway, I WAS impressed this morning when I read a poem that Marie Esselstein posted on her Columbus…. It was poignant and beautiful. More importantly though, it showed a deep respect for our veterans and an understanding for all of the countless sacrifices that they have made just to give us the freedom to NOT respect them–if we are callous enough to choose that path. Go and read it sometime today if you have time… [...]
November 13th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
[...] a final note about this Veterans Day, I really enjoyed reading this piece on a Columbus, Ohio blog and I want to pass it on to my Milwaukee [...]