Veterans Day 2009

“October has been the deadliest month
for U.S. troops in Afghanistan
since the war began eight years ago.”

In the pre-dawn hours he stands,
silent and watchful
upon the tarmac
as another military plane
slowly taxis into position.
A ramp is lowered,
and six uniformed men
carry a simple box
draped with an American flag
to a waiting hearse.

Gone are those dreams:
peace at the 11th hour
of the 11th day
to last forever.
No more are our
loved and lost trapped
upon yellowed paper
and imprisoned behind
dusty glass.
We see them on TV,
being saluted
as they are carried away.

Such is the price
they continue to pay.
God bless those
who came before
and still fight today
on this Veterans Day.

In the pre-dawn hours he stands,
silent and watchful
upon the tarmac.

“At least 55 troops
have been killed in action
in the last thirty days.
This week alone,
about two dozen soldiers
have died in attacks and accidents.”

_____________________________

Lou Marin is a writer, photographer, and historian for The American Legion, Department of Maine. Born and raised in western Maine, he spent more than 20 years in the United States Air Force. He is a published poet and short story writer whose work for The Havok Journal is largely poetry and reflective writing on military service, remembrance, and faith. He is also a stringer for Maine Trust for Local News, the author of Dimly Seen Through the Mists and My Lighthouse in Troubled Times, and a resident of Rumford, Maine. He can be reached at mbsphotog@yahoo.com or his Facebook Page.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.