Memorial Day Thanks
Today, the sky wears a peace,
a calm stitched with sacrifice and love.
I think of hands that held rifles,
steady under the terrible weight,
the ground trembling with their courage.
The mornings they left behind, fleeting,
the scent of coffee, a lover\'s breath.
They moved into the unknown for us,
their steps falling into history\'s shadows.
Some never returned to the quiet,
some live with memory\'s deep ache.
Because of them, I walk freely,
my children\'s laughter a boundless gift.
I whisper thank you to their absence—
to their presence carried in the flag.
Each star a pulse, every stripe blood.
Freedom cannot forget where it stands.