Thought flies . . .

I stand and watch the parade, uniform clad and poppied,
Pass me by, each step a chapter in the history that has
Left wives as widows and made children cry.
I stand and gaze into the past, seeing each lost limb
And blinded eye, the illustration of humanity and the
Physical demonstration of our innate empathy
And kindness, one to another, across the tapestry of time.
I stand and look to the horizon, seeking there a future,
Bright-skied and starlit, moonshine falling on dew-decked
Grass, and the wind caressing the whispering leaves.
But future see I none. Instead, along the far vista, lies
A land of desolation, of despair and monochrome tears.
I see tomorrow, the day of reckoning, when all are called
Unto account, and there is no credit balance on this statement.
I see the wasted earth, the barren fields, the crops that
Cannot grow, the listless cows, the sheep whose fleeces
Rot upon their backs, and fall, tangled to rest in thistles.
I look back upon the khakied ranks, the countless faces,
Mute and sightless, the shuffling feet taking another and another
And another step, to a destination unknown, and wonder what
On earth they were fighting for, and why, oh why, they died.

And then I stand upon the deck as the boat sails across
The water, and see before me the island, slowly coming closer.
I see the single ray of sunlight break through the clouds, and
Old bones of the earth laid bare, sand-washed and clear, and
Hear the seagulls' cry. And I know, this is why they died.

© 2ndwitch, 13/11/15