The Wall

I woke up yesterday dreaming of The Wall, one of the most visited memorials in Washington DC. 246 feet 9 inches long with its highest tip 10.1 feet high, tapering to 8 inches at both ends with 58,272 names etched in stone. Its reflective qualities bring past and present together and remind every visitor of the ultimate sacrifice soldiers have paid for our freedom. 1st Year, I could see it in the distance / like a coiling snake, but its soundless cries kept me away // 2nd Year, as I walk through the tree line / all I could hear was Johnson’s cries and feel Frank’s cold hand // 3rd Year, I really tried / but I couldn’t find my way / there were too many tears // 4th Year, I walked the mall till dusk / finally stopped at the flags around the Washington monument / and waited for the comfort of darkness to cry alone // 5th Year, “Mister” / she was wiping my tears / “come with me and talk to my dad” // Too many tears / she takes my hand and walks me to the wall / past thousands of names // We stop / “I come every year; just to tell my dad / how proud I am for what he did” // She takes my hand / and runs my fingers across her dad’s name // I am now a part of the wall and the wall is now a part of me // - Captain William B. Baun, Army