Tuesday, April 10, 2012

April is Poetry #9

Slipping in under the wire here...

I was fortunate enough to be in the front row of a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier today at Arlington National Cemetery. I'm speechless at the hours that went into the perfection of those few minutes. Also, I want the voice of the sergeant-who-must-be-obeyed; when he instructed the crowd to stay standing and quiet, there was nary a cell phone beep or a whispered comment. I need him to ride herd on SO many places.

But the best was when the honor guard marched by so closely that I could count the moles on their cheeks.  The unknown soldier was suddenly known. It was him and him and her and him and her...


Known

hat brims slant; pitched roofs
one like one like one like one
underneath, all eyes

----Sara Lewis Holmes



3 comments:

  1. I have a weird reaction to soldiers in uniform; I want to hug them all (and they will be deeply weirded out by this) because I see them and then, THEY ARE REAL. All of them. Every single one, him, her, him. And then the places which were only names become real. I SO get what you're saying. I so, so, SO get that.

    And this is when war again becomes untenable for me.

    So beautiful, Sara.

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  2. Your haiku moves me as I have been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier so I understand and have that viusal memory of being there. I love middle line.

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  3. Thanks for sharing that with us, Sara. That is a thing I'd like to see myself someday. My father and I have talked about going together, but I think he's not ready for it yet.

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