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Remembrance of Things and People Past

(Memorial Day 2023)

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My grandfather was a doughboy

Another one

(I knew him more)

Cooked for the

Army in

The second war

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My father served

In the war that followed

The war no one remembers

But cost lives

Of bodes and the souls therein

And for lack of

Remembering

Because remembering

Matters much

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It’s a thought

A salute

And a parade

To visit flags on graves

Before we shop

Before we picnic

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Mind you

Shopping and picnicking

Ain’t bad

Rights and privileges

Secured

Silly to you

Perhaps

There’s also watching war movies

On TCM

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Arcane remembrances

We still make war movies

We still shop

And eat outside

Save rain

To drive companionship

Inside

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Be inside

Be there

Be aware

Remembrance is a near miss

From experience

What follows war

Was bought for us

Our own secular

Allegiances

And promise

In significant

And blessed silly

Existence

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God bless peace

And forestall war

And keep us faithful

To each other

More so to you

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C L Couch

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Photo by Wesley Mc Lachlan on Unsplash

Corning, Corning, United States

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