A Graveyard for Soldiers by James Piatt

In a graveyard for soldiers under
a frowning moon, birds eschew
the crumbs of dry bones of dead
warriors, dogs curve around the
boundaries as they sense the
odor of death, and mothers and
wives, oblivious of these things
place flowers on tombstones to
celebrate life: A blind silhouette of
a dead combatant, slithers in and
out of graves, searching for
himself, and an old homeless
veteran covered with rusted years,
seeks a tombstone with his name
etched in marble, in which to rest
from the onerous burdens of his
weary life.

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Dr. James Piatt, a retired professor and octogenarian, has had four collections of poetry, “The Silent Pond,” (2012), “Ancient Rhythms,” (2014), “Light” (2016), and “Solace Between the Lines,” (2019), over 1,345 poems, four novels, and 35 short stories published. His poems have been nominated multiple times for pushcart and best of web awards. He earned his BS and MA from California State Polytechnic University, and his doctorate from BYU.