Whisper Their Names

Taps begin.
Time adds little perspective.
Death in a hostile place, a time not chosen.
Cities hard to pronounce; countries hard to find.
Cause, clarity clouded, confused; hard to recall.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin
Time dulls memory.
Pace pushes people on.
Space vacated, empty, gone.
Place dissolves, no trace; so it seems.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time stands still; this I remember.
  Their laughter, their scent.
  First smile, first step, first word, first love.
  A Friday night; life was simple.
  The future, a certain dream, bulletproof, not.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time release; tears flow freely.
Pride in lives well lived.
Grieving for lives given, invested and gone.
The loss, the pain; broken plans, broken hearts--shattered.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coastguardsmen, Airmen.
Duty, honor, country.
Last full measure, their devotion.
No greater love, their sacrifice.
In peace, now rest.
Whisper their names...and remember.



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