Decoration Day
Kathy A. Wittman 1949 (Tennessee)
Long ago
my parents and I wandered
in a secluded mountain graveyard
among tombstones, paying tribute
to our ancestors, fondly remembered
on Decoration Day.
And always
flowers (some real, some plastic)
abounded in colorful array,
lovingly placed on graves
by those who yearned to
catch a glimpse of eternity.
Back then
dinner on the grounds was served
outside, in the churchyard,
as the old folks tried to relive
their haunting childhood dreams,
while being drawn into kinship circles.
And now
I walk with them in spirit on Decoration Day.
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Submitted by kaleidoscopickat on May 01, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 26 sec read
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Quick analysis:
| Scheme | XABXAC XXCXXX XXBXXX XC |
|---|---|
| Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
| Characters | 519 |
| Words | 89 |
| Stanzas | 4 |
| Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 2 |
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"Decoration Day" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/69231/decoration-day>.
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