A Tear For Don
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In 2021 I was asked to write a poem for an elderly veteran who, in his twilight years, was looking for an articulation of his sorrow at the death of his lifelong friend. A Tear For Don was the result. I'm honoured to say that he found these few words to be just the expression he craved.
For those without a military background, the phrase "Final RV" means Final Rendezvous and is a term used by UK military veterans to describe the place where, after the deaths of their bodies, their spirits will once again meet in friendship and cameraderie.
A Tear for Don
I still shed a tear over you, Don,
I wish you were still here, alive.
Remember the day we first met, Don,
A pair of young schoolboys aged five?
Remember how we were like brothers, Don?
The way we were always together.
We seemed to be joined at the hip, Don.
Our bond an unbreakable tether.
I think of our time as Cadets, Don,
Playing at soldiers in green.
And then you did it for real, Don,
At the fresh, youthful age of fifteen.
I didn’t much like all that serge, Don,
The khaki like wire, and sore.
So I chose to wear Navy Blue, Don,
And you laughed when that scratched even more!
You served in many campaigns, Don,
As I, in my Unit, did too.
We understood each other’s thoughts, Don.
Each knew what the other went through.
Then as our later years passed, Don,
Our friendship grew stronger and stronger.
I wish you’d been able to stay, Don,
Been my brother a little bit longer.
I still shed a tear over you, Don,
And although some may see it as strange,
My sadness and heartbreak are true, Don.
Can’t see how those feelings will change.
You’ve reached the Final RV, Don,
But I remain, soldiering on.
I’ll keep your memory safe in my heart,
Till we meet again, my brother Don.
Copyright © Brian K. Bilverstone | Year Posted 2023
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