Remembrance

A November Monument

In November
The red flowers arrive
And after
He comes
The whitest hair
The blackest coat
He is so tall
An angular man
Hands are covered
In string gloves
A smart silk scarf
A slow walk
The approach awkward
This is his moment
The one that matters above all
He shuffles and is still

Erect
A soldier now
No gun in hand
No drill in this empty
Parade ground
He stands here so still
Long distant time
Echoes all around
A tear so cold
Slipping down
Soaking
The silk
The black coat

A betrayal
Worn inside
A stain
Deep within.