You’ll find me here by chiseled stone
all by myself with grief alone,
another year has come and went
with season’s change, and heart’s lament.
Dried withered buds are resting there
atop the marble, cold and hewn,
with heart prints; oh so hard to bear
of whispered echoes in commune.
I hear the bugles piercing loud,
their melodies drown out the cries
of family grieving in the crowd,
when “Taps” plays to October skies.
Dimensions seemed to mix and slip
when seven guns had fired then-
with each new volley loosing grip,
reality to face again.
These haunting spectres leave me chilled
devoid of warmth, completely stilled-
Upon your grave for love’s repose,
I placed a single, yellow rose.
Author notes
Written in memory of my dad.
In a list
A contest entry
- Make this THE largest Contest EVER on AP [enter, enter, enter!] by Symphony.
18000 points, ended April 28, 1011 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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The opening was beautiful - so tragically beautiful; I've never lost anyone that I truly loved to death, yet I've heard so many stories of people going to gravestones just to sit and reflect and talk to their loved ones .... You described that so tenderly ...
And then my next favourite part was the closing ; you rhymed this with remarkable craft - and it worked 100%
Enjoyed reading this, even though it was on so somber a topic; thank you for sharing it with us
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awwww this is beautiful Sandi
~Aimee
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Hi Lena, it's nice to meet you
Thank you for stopping by to read my work and for leaving your gracious thoughts behind, I truly appreciate it and return the favor and many blessings, Sandi
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wow I was randomly checking out peoples work and I came across yours what a truely awsome poem. the flow and rhyme were very well done and the sentiment of the pieces touched to my heart. You are a very talented writter and I will be reading more of your work.
huggles
~Lena
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Thank you Skyelle for your gracious thoughts and wishes, I truely appreciate it
Blessings, Sandi
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This is really pretty imagery. I think you pictured it just so well. Flawless. good luck in the contest.
-Skyelle -
Good morning Natsumi, I thank you kindly for your gracious thoughts on this piece, and for the inspiration to write it. I've been toying with the idea for quite awhile
Good luck with your contest, I hope you get lots of entries!
Blessings, Sandi -
Hi Yem, thank you for your kind thoughts, I truely appreciate you my friend these were memories of my dad's service, full military it was, and when they shot the volleys, I actually fell to my knees. Every two years when I go home, I do indeed place one yellow rose on his grave, it was his favorite flower.
Thanks again! Sandi
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Good morning Margaret
I played with and changed the form more than a few times, I started out writing this as a double brace octave with a double rhyming couplet for the coda, but then changed my mind and set it finally this way, sort of like the beginning and ending was present time and the middle were memories of my dad's funeral.
Thank you for your wonderful thoughts Sandi
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That was gorgeous. I could hear and see everyhting. Wonderful imagery. Truly lovely.
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A chilling poem that still has a lot of emotion and a testament to true love. For some reason, this reminds me of a poem written during the civil war, maybe its the gentility of the rose...or maybe I'm just plum nuts.
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Well done, Sandi, this plaintive poem is full of emotion and imagery. I was a little taken aback by the change of rhyme scheme in stanza 2, but it all took on symmetry when you changed back in the final stanza. The last one is very poignant, "love's repose" is such a painful idea.
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