My father served in the
army during World War II. One of my mother's first cousins, John Koziski, was
killed in that war. A number of my friends served in the Vietnam War. Two did
not return home. I'm
posting a poem by Yusef Komunyakaa in honor of them and all
of our veterans who have served our
country during wartime.
FACING IT
By Yusef Komunyakaa
My black face fades,
hiding inside the black granite.
I said I wouldn't
dammit: No tears.
I'm stone. I'm flesh.
My clouded reflection eyes me
like a bird of prey, the profile of night
slanted against morning. I turn
this way—the stone lets me go.
I turn that way—I'm inside
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
again, depending on the light
to make a difference
Click here to read the
rest of the poem.
***************
Dani has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Doing the Work that Matters.
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8 comments:
Powerful poem, Elaine. I'll always remember the first time I saw the Vietnam Memorial. It made such a huge impact on me seeing all those etched names.
Jama,
When my husband and I visited the memorial, I was brought to tears when we found the names of two friends who had died in that war. It's a powerful monument to the fallen.
Nice pick, Elaine. Both the poem and the monument have a strong impact.
Wow. these words are powerful. At first, when I was reading it, the thoughts seemed scattered and I was annoyed. But, by the end, I see the point in that. The brushing of the boy's hair. Oh, my goodness. What an ending. Beautiful poem for today. I'm sad that Rolling Thunder is ending here in DC. But, I understand.
That is some profound poem. It reminded me of There's a Wall in Washington, a song by Iris DeMent. So of course I had to go and listen to it. You can hear it here. https://youtu.be/mL9rrCJkBJs
Thank you, Elaine, for the poem you shared on this special holiday. I've been to the wall in Washington so the song brings back memories.
So powerful. Thank you.
The photographs that accompany your poem tie your message together beautifully, Elaine. Thank you for sharing today.
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