Henry DuPertuis: A Memorial Day remembrance of those who fell
A Poem of Remembrance
I saw the graves of ten thousand dead
above a beach in Normandy,
and crosses white against the grass
as far as I could see.
And ten thousand mothers wept.
I saw some graves on a lonely hill
Near where an old pine tree stood.
Some were marked with granite stone,
some were only wood.
Among the graves was prairie sage
and piles of tumbleweeds.
Some were covered with grasshoppers,
some with centipedes.
I saw some names I had known
from my childhood days, so long ago
when the prairie was my home.
No one weeps for them anymore.
I saw the graves in Arlington
where green grass grows among the trees.
And I saw the flags, their colors unfurled
in the gentle autumn breeze.
Then I saw a wreath being laid
on a marble stand
where the unknown soldier lays,
known only unto God.
We will remember and honor them all.
On this Memorial Day.
Henry DuPertuis, Merced
This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Henry DuPertuis: A Memorial Day remembrance of those who fell."