Member Poem

Dark clouds scuttle heavy and full
cold wind biting at the exposed flesh
brown grass crusted with rotten snow
abandoned Park ignored by those passing by

often passing fleeing quickly by
thoughts of the meaning rotting deep inside
feelings long festered buried deep within
fear of them escaping and being then expressed

eyes still riveted in this passing by
aching heart swollen needing to be there
pausing in the journey turning in alone
emptiness waiting abandoned by them all

footsteps halting accented by tapping cane
hesitantly approaching what does there lie
downward cast looking wanting not to see
fearfully gazing at last on what lies there

cold stone line emboss with tarnished brass
forgotten words stated speaking of the loss
memories are not captured here in what does lie
pain wrote within the soul of the gazing eye

cane falls from fingers numb clatters to the ground
lie in there at the feet in the now

of long walks to the school
learning of forgotten wars
playground games of baseball
against the other team

neighborhood boys together played
in the street in front of our homes
of the dreams in high school
that would never be

TV watching as numbers called
deciding each of our fates
families crying in despair
at numbers way too low

childhood friends too young to be men
marching off to war
evening news watched by all
of the awful toll

trembling as the tears rolled down
choking back the sobs
bending down to lift the cane
and turn and stumble away

forgotten now names etched in brass
faded memories now torn a new
blood in memory does flow