I Remember

I remember miles upon miles of white crosses.

I remember the sheer size of the Vimy Memorial.

I remember the suffering still palpable in the air over

the Canadian and German front lines, decades later.

I remember my great uncle, killed in action 101 years ago

when he was not much older than my sons.

I remember my uncle who fought in two wars

and survived a close encounter with a landmine.

I remember uncles who served in the navy and the army,

who lived to tell the tale;

uncles and my mother who followed their consciences

and entertained the troops for the duration.

I remember foolish politicians and oligarchs who through ambition and desire

for personal gain have pushed us close to the brink of war again and again.

I remember because forgetting isn’t an option.

I pray that my kids and their kids will never be called upon to do their patriotic duty

but I also pray that they will never forget those, both related and otherwise,

who made the ultimate sacrifice so that they might

live in peace.