passing through the graveyard
just beyond the black iron gates,
Shelby Dawson (1928-1972)
beloved wife and mother
shuffles through an old, decaying Victorian.
pale face bruised beneath marble eyes,
lips swollen and mumbling static.
embraced by moss, a weathered granite cross
proclaims the angelic beauty of
Harmony Emberton (1962-1966), lost to heaven
and weeping older brother memories, tiny fists
engaged in faded caresses.
the sharp silence after the doctor's visit.
at the crest of Soldier's Hill, lonely flags
declare young boys like Adam Sullivan,
asleep beneath silent-night breezes.
when the swamp floods, homeless men drown
in sticky brown water, a murky deja-vu
for Sheldon Tabes (1950-1969);
a nameless river beyond the Laos border mistakenly
set to fire; raining snakes, catfish and napalm.
burned alive, midnights without a moon.
it is down by the edge of the forest, where
the memorials are often empty of savings and stone,
I allow myself a moment to absorb the wet grass.
there was a feeling in my gut that day, a premonition;
eighteen was too young to pull the trigger.
an angered god would not be a forgiving god.
the intestines of pain unable to digest disappointment.
a difficult lesson to learn, thin numbers competing
with dirt; Phillip Promise (1986-2004).
© 2010 Derek Richards
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