That Someone Does Not Forget
Why would I not die here
that you might live to remember?
A great warrior once wrote, Forget
nothing, in that preparation to walk
the long walk of men across lines
that spread within their minds
like nets to tangle them in fear
not the fear of battle nor death
more the pain and the end as it comes
so very far from home
untimely in its butchery of promise
savagely unkind in its apathy
towards our need to say good-bye
each man looks over a shoulder
to a place in the outreaches of memory
where a young woman stopped time
in his heart and every tomorrow
became a hallowed day
no one should have to give away
but they do
in blood sacrifice for one another
that someone does not forget
Tony Spivey
Copyright 2004
The accompanying photograph is available at.....
Why would I not die here
that you might live to remember?
A great warrior once wrote, Forget
nothing, in that preparation to walk
the long walk of men across lines
that spread within their minds
like nets to tangle them in fear
not the fear of battle nor death
more the pain and the end as it comes
so very far from home
untimely in its butchery of promise
savagely unkind in its apathy
towards our need to say good-bye
each man looks over a shoulder
to a place in the outreaches of memory
where a young woman stopped time
in his heart and every tomorrow
became a hallowed day
no one should have to give away
but they do
in blood sacrifice for one another
that someone does not forget
Tony Spivey
Copyright 2004
The accompanying photograph is available at.....
