FLAG DRAPED COFFIN...

Black was surely not her color

But she sat there straight and still

A trail of tears showed on her cheeks

Her heart… She felt the chill.

Her family gathered round her

Their faces just a blur

Her mind was racing, crashing

There was nothing left for her

In the center of the gathering

Upon a golden bier

The flag-draped coffin rested

She stared at it through a tear.

She sat, the numbness soothing her

As guns fired at the sky

And with each crack her body flinched

But now she didn’t cry

And when the echo faded

Another sound was heard

A bugler softly playing taps

The crowd said not a word

And then the flag was folded

The red, the white, the blue

And it was laid upon her lap

God!  Now what would she do?

The Chaplin stood in front of her

She lifted up her face

He gently took her hands in his

And whispered of God’s grace

She smiled and slightly nodded

And as he moved away

She clutched the flag against her chest

There was nothing left to say

She stepped up to the casket

And removed a single rose

And stood there for a moment

With it pressed against her nose

And then she turned and walked away

Without a backward look

And thanked the God of Abraham

For all the strength it took

On days like this the memories stir

As one remembers when…

The dreams they shared and plans they made

For things that might have been.

Time has passed, the pain has eased

But she will never ne’er forget

Her love, this fallen hero

Who served without regret.