Remember The Other Days
Today the rows of white marble
are bejeweled in red, white, and blue–
a sea of flags heavily dotted
with flowers of remembrance.
The shivers are not just from
November’s cold;
the spirits of the fallen linger.
I hear them whisper,
“Remember—not only today,
but on all the other days too.”
Let us honor our veterans, not just today, but every day. Let our “Thank you for your service,” be something we live everyday, not just lip service. Don’t let today be just another excuse for the stores to have a sale. Reach out. Make a difference. The greatest thanks we can give our veterans is to create a world where there won’t be a need for more of them.
To all who served and all those still serving, thank you for putting yourself at risk for the rest of us. May we prove ourselves worthy of your sacrifices.
~Elise Skidmore
November 2015
How very true, we should be grateful and proud and honor our veterans always. Loved you poem!
Thanks so much, Rosemary!
Great post, Elise. I took three veterans out for lunch on Veterans Day and was rewarded with a couple hours of war stories. There’s something about being in the service. Nobody comes out the same as they were when they went in.
Thank you, Dale.
Being in the service definitely changes people, especially those who have served during war time. Most of the time, those vets don’t talk much about their experiences with those who haven’t “been there,” unless it’s some amusing anecdote. My dad used to say if you heard some guy talking about the action he saw, he was most likely full of __it. I know I had a hard time as an adult reconciling the idea of my sweet, kind, gentile father with the young man who fought in WWII.
Hello Elise; a wonderful story! Our Veteran’s were and are of some of the finest people! I am grateful everyday for their sacrifice!
Thanks, Cindy.