A Gathering (Memorial Day) Poem by R B Seals

In light of day, the bugle sounds,
distinctive, resonating its familiar call,
trumpeting Assembly to all who hear
and to those we so honor here;
these special men and women
united by a common destiny,
who laid down their lives in
service to God and country.

These comrades-in-arms…
honored by a grateful nation,
laid to rest in sacred ground,
side-by-side for the final parade
in lasting, heartfelt remembrance.

Far removed from the horrors of
conflict that brought them here:
the incessant din of gunfire; the
scarred and spoiled landscapes;
the countless shattered lives;
the random, senseless acts of death
that took them from our lives;

We recall the splendor of their memory,
vibrant and alive in life and in legend,
placed in their finest wear: resplendent
in pressed, service dress uniform; their
brass and boots polished to perfection;
their metals ablaze as if struck by the
noonday sun...and we are blessed.

From somewhere beyond the tree line
phrases echo back from a happier time:
'cover down…dress right, dress, ' and all
are in line, squared in tight formation
along the many markers of metal and
concrete, these fathers ‘n mothers, sons
‘n daughters, brothers ‘n sisters—today,
together forever and a day, reminding us
succinctly of the freedoms we so enjoy.