Salute

The boy climbed aboard
a ship-shaped playground of burnished granite
terra firma for adventure; the paternal gaze permissive
of distance growing between them
gave impetus to daring-do, and narrowing walls
mustered him further to the apex

then just before climax
blinded momentarily by late autumn sun
he hesitated;  a magical happenstance
etched leaves rising to the third dimension
crunched underfoot and the point of it all
shone subliminal through the passage of time

dead reckoning to Halifax the cusp's co-ordination
for wars in Europe, port of embarkation
maple-leaved men spanned seas of dominion
roll-calls counted by the million

child-like he touched his head, perplexed
the boy saluted

© Laura Granby 2015

Something for Remembrance Sunday as I’m joining with the many talents at poetry pantry

28 thoughts on “Salute

    1. thank you Sanaa – this moment unfolded before my eyes a year or so ago but the impact remained fresh

    1. maybe he was hesitant at the height or sensitive to the memorial without knowing why

    1. reassured you felt that – thank you -‘passage of time’ felt somewhat clichéd but it was too apt as reference to ships/thoroughfare/history to choose another word

  1. Such a profund poem – very much heightened by that powerful photograph…i wonder even if when fully grown people are sent to war they really know why…such a big sacrifice..

    1. the notion of sacrifice is not always senseless slaughter Jae Rose – maybe the boy understands that there are always bigger things in life

    1. true Mary – this chap seemed to be remembering what he did not even know!

  2. “etched leaves rising to the third dimension” – love the imagery, symbolic meaning of connectivity all generations…subconscious feelings of the little boy toward the history, place and life values…

    1. thank you humbird there were so ,many parallels to draw inside those lines

    1. thank you Sherry – it was the countenance of consternation

  3. Haunting. So much of what we write comes from just such moments. They haunt us til we write them down, struggling like the boy to comprehend that which is just beyond our ken. Thank you for allowing all of us to partake in this moment,

    Elizabeth

    http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/

    1. so true Elizabeth – this moment stayed fresh in its impact – just waiting for the words -appreciate your appreciation

    1. I liked your metaphor Gillena – so apt. Thank you for the link-up invite

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