The Leaves of Autumn

They paint the ground beneath the trees they served so well Hues of red, orange, yellow and brown All blended into an autumn camouflage Laid down now in their final form of service They lay moldering beneath their parent trees In one final act of service of nurturing They give their last bit of support As the final molecules of their energy leach into the soil So like the leaves of autumn are our veterans Our country called upon our youth for service in times of need Our youth willingly answered those calls time and time again And as they answered they bought the freedoms we hold so dear And like the fallen leaves, our fallen heroes nurture our country Their valor and spirit seep deeply into the soil around them They are the very earth and bedrock of all that we are And it is our duty to honor them and hold them dear The mid-November breeze blows crisp and cold across the cemetery Small flags atop glistening white tombstones flutter On one stone rests a majestic bald eagle As if he too is paying homage and gratitude to the fallen I walked the rolling lawns of Arlington in humble silence I felt the breeze caress my cheeks and brow And the last of the leaves of autumn rest now In final tribute at the bases of the tombstones © 2011 B. E. Parks senti poem All Rights Reserved