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Homecoming (poem)
By L. Rae Hyland
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I never placed a flower in the barrel of your gun nor
spit on anyone's shoes who made it home.
It was the government I blamed when
I carried signs and chanted into bullhorns for
Peace, peace, peace, please peace,
an end to thousands of years of misplaced power,
the darkening hour.
Today I walked upon 6,000 graves,
finally placing the flowers where they belonged
all along.
I read your names, sometimes out loud,
to remember, remember that you once walked among the living,
and fell in love and laughed into your baby's eyes,
and if you were lucky or blessed, you came home
and wrapped your arms around us all, who were waiting.
Who are waiting still,
for war no more.
No fields of poppies celebrate you this day,
I just got the redwhite blues like flags
fluttering flowers or butterflies,
whispering in the wind, saying
softly, simply,
Thank you.
— L. Rae Hyland
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