Early in the morning, this past Friday, I woke up so alert and I replayed every second of the day before – when my parents were buried at Arlington Cemetery. I ended up writing eight (8!) pages in my journal, as I tried to decompress. Let me share a poem about my wakeful thinking and this special day.
waking recollections in dark of night clarity rushes through my mind’s door holding every memorable moment every caring conversation every tender touch letting me embrace these again thoughts gather like an old engine warming up sputtering spewing spitting so many different directions all at once there we were at Arlington Cemetery the day bright and clear my four brothers and I loving family and friends to bury Dad and Mom
so many faces I had not seen in years new babies to meet hugs kisses squeezes waking recollections in the dark of night remember the waiting room - just my brothers and I the military escort explaining logistics how the procession works my eyes fixating on boxes of tissue the realization this room held pain grief tragedy young military lives lost whereas we were here to honor lives lived fully and long outside in the parking lot little ones danced and squealed stories chuckles whispers shared such a glorious day my cousins, aunts, uncles my parents’ cousins, too so many friends from long ago neighbors and colleagues everyone here together supporting us
the military service - we walked behind the caisson cannons fired from the hill the honor guard in rapt attention band marching, playing Taps rifles fired in a 21 gun salute while eight sailors held the flag so reverently over my parents’ urns turning, folding, respecting
that moment - the officer handed the flag to me saying on behalf of the President of the United States the United States Navy and a grateful nation please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service he looked right at me as he spoke and his eyes watered leaving my eyes his mirror
their resting place - now they are nestled together on the hill under the tree overlooking the cemetery their great grandchildren play among the headstones
a fabulous celebration followed in the officers’ club like so many days long ago it feels so ‘once upon a time’ those early years when base life was my daily life so much has changed then and now waking recollections in the dark of night remember we arrived early - before the burial and set everything up the guard at the base gate spoke with an accent our armed forces, so diverse
the room came alive - sweet memorabilia on the table slideshow through the years stories shared at the mic spontaneous laughter and tears so many conversations so many relationships intersecting he tells me he was head of security remembers me as a teenager she tells me she’s my father’s cousin and I am just like my mother they tell me they are longtime friends from my brother’s church remember, too - oh yes yes yes she would love to have her grandparents' china what a story - the coincidence of parking next to them after so long estranged the unopened letter now in their hands and hope to heal this family hurt remember how - the room became so quiet when I shared my poem in the middle of the night I am overflowing let me sit with this word - recollection let me hold in my heart look closely at its middle: the word ‘collect’ we collect what we love, yes? to re-collect is to savor these treasures again to use one’s thoughts to gather these love moments again to sift through them like treasures on a beach holding the best ones very close waking recollections in dark of night clarity rushes through my mind’s door holding every memorable moment every caring conversation every tender touch letting me embrace these again
It’s Tuesday and I’m participating in the Slice of Life. Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this supportive community of teacher writers.