Remembrance

Have I ever lost anyone to war? No, and yes.

I have not lost a husband, a lover, a friend. I have not lost a child or a father.

Who I have lost, are those whom we have all lost.

Every husband, lover and friend. Every child and father.
Ever man who was killed in duty in a foreign land, or who lies "unknown" in a quiet field.
Every woman who died while serving her country.
Every child or elderly person who became a hapless victim of war.

I have lost, as we have all lost.

We lost the talent and the skill that they once possessed. We lost their knowledge, we lost their insight. We lost their passion, their love, their human kindnesses. We lost the joy of children. We lost the emphatic enthusiasm and promise of youth. And we lost the wisdom of age.

We all lost, even if we were the winners.

It is only through remembering that we have the capacity to truly win.




Lest we Forget.