Today is the anniversary of Armistice Day. At the 11th hour on the 11th day on the 11 month in 1918 a cease fire on the western front was declared during World War I. And all over the world people rejoiced because armistice, a truce, an agreement to peace, was reached.
Veteran’s Day was established to remember the cost that this peace came at….so in honor of all those who served, fought, and even died I decided to visit a few of the local memorials today.
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| Viewpoint of the brave |
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| Dough Boy Memorial |
“Dirge
of Two Veterans”
By
Walt Whitman
The last sunbeam
Lightly falls from the finish’d Sabbath,
On the pavement here—and there beyond, it is looking,
Down a new-made
double grave.
Lo! the moon
ascending!
Up from the east, the silvery round moon;
Beautiful over the house tops, ghastly phantom moon;
Immense and silent
moon.
I see a sad
procession,
And I hear the sound of coming full-key’d bugles;
All the channels of the city streets they’re flooding,
As with voices and
with tears.
I hear the great
drums pounding,
And the small drums steady whirring;
And every blow of the great convulsive drums,
Strikes me through
and through.
For the son is
brought with the father;
In the foremost ranks of the fierce assault they fell;
Two veterans, son and father, dropt together,
And the double
grave awaits them.
Now nearer blow the bugles,
And the drums strike more convulsive;
And the day-light o’er the pavement quite has faded,
And the strong
dead-march enwraps me.
In the eastern sky
up-buoying,
The sorrowful vast phantom moves illumin’d;
(’Tis some mother’s large, transparent face,
In heaven brighter
growing.)
O strong
dead-march, you please me!
O moon immense, with your silvery face you soothe me!
O my soldiers twain! O my veterans, passing to burial!
What I have I also
give you.
The moon gives you
light,
And the bugles and the drums give you music;
And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,
My heart gives you
love.
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| A soldier's grave |
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