A Belated Memorial Day


memorial day
We remember-
those who fought and died
to give this nation birth,
in the face of unremitting odds...
   
those who fought and died
    to keep this nation unified,
    in spite of our differences...

those who fought and died                                     
          on foreign soil to restore peace
          and freedom to the places of
    our long-ago roots, to the world...
    
those who fought and died
    in a police action which
    never really ended...

those who fought and died
    in a tiny southeast Asian
country while a war of words &
ideologies raged on home shores...

those who fought and died
    in the deserts of the Gulf
          for reasons which remain
          unclear & un-clarified...

those who continue to fight and die
          in Iraq and Afghanistan because
          our nation is afraid to face
          its own shortcomings & failings...

We remember-
     or are we choosing to forget?

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