Arlington National Cemetary Poem by Fred Babbin

Arlington National Cemetary

Tomb of the Unknowns.
A sarcophagus for the living,
for sarcophagi are for the living.
But these dead unknowns are unknowing—
They are agnostic,
and we are agnostic.

The tomb is heavy white marble –
cold, without human warmth,
with the epitaph,
“Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God”.
Author unknown.
He is “known but to God”,
but he is unknowing,
and we are unknowing.
We are all agnostic

Honor and glory need no warmth
excepting the fire of victory.
Sarcophagi are for the living,
Memories are for the living.
But will our memories be warm?
Will we be remembered?
We are all unknowns.

We have populated Earth
with our billions,
unknown and unknowing
and we will always be unknown and unknowing.

Who made the first
paper?
cup handle?
copper, steel?
bow and arrow?
writing?
arithmetic?
house?
cloth & clothing?
nails?
playing cards?
board game?

No Jesus,
No Elvis Presly
No Aristotle
No Beatles
No Einstein
No Rolling Stones
No Buddha
No Alfred Hitchcock
No George Washington
No Madam Curie

We are all unknown and unknowing,
as the soldierly unknowns are unknown and unknowing.
And being so, we are empty.