A Soldier’s Grave

By James G. Piatt

Hope was fearful as it watched hours slip away
inside shattered clocks as enigmatic shadowy
memories of a bloody battle intruded into the
atmosphere, and timeless hours hidden inside 
absurdity ticked away too quickly. 

The unconscious journey of a soldier’s life ended in
the scarlet seconds of a bullet’s wordless flight. 
When the waves of ephemeral moments passed over
his grave of earth and wood, and his lifeless flesh
remembered not, the endless battles continued for others.

The grass turned brown, then green again, and after
precious years had long departed the life of the
soldier, and luminescent clouds wandered over his
cement tombstone, someone that once loved him,
visited him, and placed scented roses on his grave. 
And as she weeped, she muttered, “Do we ever stop
to wonder if it is truly worth it?” 

James, a retired professor and octogenarian, is a Best of Web nominee and three time Pushcart nominee. He has had four books of poetry; “Solace Between the Lines,” “Light,” “Ancient Rhythms,” and “The Silent Pond,” as well 35 short stories, five novels, and over 1530 poems published worldwide. He earned his BS and MA from California State Polytechnic University, SLO, and his doctorate from BYU.  His fifth book of poetry, Serenity, is to be released this year.