“A TRIBUTE TO DAD”

By Darlene Brown

Like a Monarch on his throne
This man of 80 years sits in his designated chair at his Legion every day.
He's tired and weak,
His aging frame sits postured forward as he sips his soda.

Other Legion members and guests stroll in.
Some greet him in passing; some join him at his table.
He is a man with an ageless memory of the war, of his colleagues.
Where will these memories go, when he has gone?

Silence lingers at his table.
Little is said between comrades these days.
The stories have all been told, time and time again.
Who is there to listen; who knows the fight for country, as they did?

Many friends have passed on now.
That time is drawing near for those who remain.
What do these men of honor think these days, how do they feel
About life and war and the legacy they leave behind?

There is pain in my heart as I watch this man in his chair,
Sipping his soda and greeting fellow Legion members.
Sometimes he acknowledges them with a slight grin to one side.
Sometimes he acknowledges them with a quick nod.

What a quiet, reclusive man he is.
I'm sure when he sits in his chair he often ponders -
What will become of their Legion in the years to follow?
Who will carry on in their memory when they are all gone?

He takes the last sip from his soda, eases out of his chair
And slowly works his way towards the door.
Everyone wishes him a good evening and he acknowledges in his usual way.
This will be one of our memories, when he is gone.

With eternal love,
Your Daughter