The Day After Veterans' Day

There was no parade yesterday

No celebration here, in any way

that I could see.

I'm always haunted

by the ones who are gone,

who have left me.

I drove home in a

driving rain

and a brisk, fall wind

with the leaves flying

the temperatures

dipping down again.

Through my flooded windshield

I saw the two flags,

dripping

and

flapping from their pole

ropes twisting

material whipping

and I thought about

rain falling over Saigon

wind whipping through

the desert near Baghdad

flags flying over

Berlin and Dresden

London

and Jalalabad

DaNang and Hue

Bejing and Seoul

as two soggy flags

flapped on their pole.....

I hope today

that the flags have all dried

and that in yesterday's rain

no soldier has died.

© Christina 11-12-06

Awarded 11/12/2006

Awarded 11/17/2006