Washington's Wailing Wall
Notes and flowers are left by the wall
Symbols of grief for soldiers who fell
Countless names, Vietnam Veterans
In hearts of those living spirits dwell
An older woman holds a child's hand
Points to a name and lays a small wreath
"I wish your grandfather had known you,
He was just twenty; his life so brief
"Your mother never met him either
Though his marrow might have saved her life
Your Uncle Aaron had his blue eyes
Losing him too added to my strife
"Aaron's name can't be found on this wall
Perhaps another wall will be built
To honor our fallen in the Mideast
And relieve the war makers' guilt"
* Ekphrasis on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a wall constructed in Washington, DC
Copyright © Carolyn Devonshire | Year Posted 2010
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