Healing Tears

Jock Gray, Richard, Old Allan, and others told me this over the years but I never felt worthy to tell it for them, not even really now but time is passing - I hope those who were there understand - I hope I have not betrayed their trust or their memory. I’ve been on these beaches before he said Left my blood and sweat in the sand Fought and clawed very inch of the way From the sea right up to the land And all the time the screeching pounding Battering smashing deadly hurting noise Inextricably mixed with the screeching sobbing Moaning of wounded and dying boys I only thought of my survival Never thought of my living Beyond that very second That second I was living Held no thought for any others Silently praying for just me Not wanting life to end By that moaning cold green sea Somehow I survived my arrival In that alien foreign land On that last day of my boyhood That first day of being a man. That longest longest day That I ever was to live And now I’m back again With nothing now to give Since then I’ve stood erect Looked every man in the eye For I lived my vision of hell And managed not to die For decades living with the guilt Of not dying with my friends But standing in this place Somehow brings that to an end I am here again I have faced my fears Have finally shed My healing tears For the rest I can be at peace Starting now here on this beach