Colonel John McCrae penned it best
when he wrote “In Flanders Fields”
it was one of the most quoted war poems, ever
and
we try to remember all those lost in World War II
but mostly I remember you and
all the stories you told me
looking dapper in your Navy suit and
a sailors cap that surely made it through the first world war
not knowing the cap had a specific name
nor how lucky I was to be at our local Acme with you.
handing out paper poppies, violent red all the same
with a green wire stem that always bent
especially nice around tiny fingers
for an even smaller donation of anything
every penny was accounted for.
Every 11th of November
I give all the sharply dressed gentlemen
holding bouquets of radiant poppies
as many dollars as I can afford
trying my best not to cry and
collect as many as I can wrap around each of my adult fingers
buzzin' 