Re-Union, Wizard Award For Veterans Everywhere Options

[Guest__*]

Faery Award

*Graphic provided by
Celtic Castle Designs

*Graphic provided by
Celtic Castle Designs

Re-Union

The sound of muted voices, heard from another age.
Spirits of long dead soldiers who'd turned their final page.
Old Joe sat in the corner, left all alone at last;
Hearing the secret whispers as he relived his past.

He'd met here with his comrades for over sixty years;
Fighting those ancient battles, the love, the joys, the tears.
Tonight the hall was empty, as Time, Immortal Foe
completed all that carnage, begun so long ago.

Old soldiers can be stubborn; Joe sat, and waited for
a lad named Tommy Atkins to march in through the door.
For Joe, and his pal Tommy  had walked through shot and shell
Their loyalty and friendship surviving years of Hell.

Old Joe recalled the moment his leg was shot away,
and good old Tommy Atkins had saved his life that day.
Tom carried him to safety, and then, an old spent round
caught Tommy in the temple. He fell without a sound.

Both of the wounded heroes were invalided home,
They swore that they'd be comrades, wherever they might roam.
Now, at their last reunion, Joe sipped his tepid beer,
and waited with a deepening dread, for Tommy wasn't here.

Joe looked around in dark despair, his heart was sick and sore,
and then his face lit up with joy as Tom walked through the door.
Joe gasped in sheer amazement, for Tommy's face was clean.
The blemish of the bullet's scar was no more to be seen.

Tom stepped up, young and sprightly, saluted his friend Joe.
"Come on old pal, the bugle blows, its time for us to go"
Old Joe stood to attention, they marched out side by side.
Out to the waiting regiment. Those comrades who had died.

The barman watched Joe's corner, and said with some dismay,
"Old Joe seems awfully quiet. I think he's passed away."
But a miracle had happened, Joe found once more his feet
and rank and file with his soldier Pals,

marched off to the drummers beat.
.


.

[Charon]

As a veteran who has a daughter serving today, this poem was awesome.  True goosebumps appeared.  

Cleo, aka Lori, does a great job offering hints, and I am no means a worthwhile crit.  I did have a couple of problems with some words, but as you will find out that is me.  Invalided throws me.  It seems obtrusive and somehow offensive to the poem.  I know what you are trying to say and agree with the thought process, but the word is just difficult, sort of one of those invisible bumps in the path you trip over as you walk along a familar way.

The last stanza threw me, then grabbed me.  I had not rolled up far enough to see the last line.  I was sort of anticipating the ending and then wham it wasn't there, until, the mouse scrolled down.  

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

da Hun