By Douglas J. Lanzo
Copyright 2023

First published in Spirit Fire Review (March 2024 Issue)

Dedicated to America’s fallen soldiers 

To all of you,
we know by name,
yet whose faces
lie below,
who buzzed the air
or sailed the sea
or manned ridgelines
in the snow;

Who flew so high
or kissed the depths
of deep valleys
undersea,
who crossed trenches
and braved shrapnel
to push back
the enemy;

We only saw
your silhouettes
when God called you
to His reign,
freeing your souls
from bonds of earth
amidst courage
and great pain;

When we behold
the brightest light
illumining
from above,
we feel you still
in strands of warmth
the sun pulsing
with your love.