The Recent and Long Dead

November is sweet, sunshine through bare trees, dry brown and fungus-free leaves companionably visiting among the dead as I did yesterday our town's small graveyard military dads who recently died lie under polished stones embossed with actual photos of themselves and their wives flowers and plastic totems within a miniature picket fence overflowing with the emotions love and grieving of the living beside or not far from simple wafer-thin old moss-covered stones on which I could not read the names. Such peace I realized which may be found around any rock or tree has escaped me while I pursue my particular happiness and our particular war, and such a blessing awaits me, too.