Memorial Day 2011

Going To The Gone

A Checklist For Memorial Day

By Greg Asimakoupoulos

 

Go look in on your children still asleep

within their bed.

Remind yourself they're safe and warm

because of some long dead.

Go for a walk through cemeteries

lined with little flags.

Take time to ponder homebound heroes

flown in body bags.

Go stand between those granite stones

engraved with names and dates.

Imagine all who died defending

our United States.

Go on and kneel beside a marker

offering a prayer

with gratitude for those who gave their lives

defeating terror.

Go home and count your blessings

from the hands of those now gone.

Then vow to the Almighty that their

mem'ry will live on.