Arrias: Roses in the Stone Garden
I wasn’t sure until this morning, but… I drove up to Arlington today for a funeral, then came home – long drive, but necessary…
Roses in the Stone Garden
Place the rose on the ground,
By the flower of stone,
So many stones, row on row,
Dear Lord, how they have grown.
I placed roses in the garden,
One beside each stone,
One beside each son, each brother,
Each no longer alone.
Surrounded by friends and comrades,
Thousands upon thousands they lie,
Each a story, of loss, laughs and tears,
Under a pale blue sky.
I stood and stared, row after row,
White, stone flowers in a warm summer sun,
And prayed their sins had all been atoned,
Their watches were over, their trials were done.
But still a quiet voice called to me:
“Push forward, No time to cheer,
Carry your pack, Do what you can,
For you no rest, ‘till you lie here.”
