War Memorial in Wales, NY
Photo by Amy LV
Students - I read the newspaper every day, and our current war continues on day after week after month. Seeing flags at half-mast and reading about the funerals of young men and women saddens me. It also makes me think about my grandfather, who died when I was two. Grandpa fought in World War II, and my mother told me that he didn't like to talk about it. In this poem, I tried to capture that silence and also the reflective actions of one who remembers. And also one who watches quietly, respectfully.
Many people write poems about sad thoughts and times. Doing so can help us heal and understand, and words can keep us from getting lonely too.
This book, AMERICA AT WAR, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Stephen Alcorn, includes more than fifty poems about the emotional toll of war, traced through the American Revolution straight through the Iraq War.
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Amy,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this poem. My grandfather was in WWII. He didn't like to talk much about it either. After he passed away, and as we lose this generation of soldiers, I can't help but wonder how many stories are lost too.
Cathy, You are so right, and I think about this loss too. A couple of hours ago, I learned that my mom just found all of the letters between my grandparents during WWII. I cannot wait to read them. A.
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