A Poem a Day (605): To those left behind

 
To those left behind
 
We light candles to combat the dark.
We hold vigils to remember the gone.
 
We walk with placards to fight against their plight.
We print pictures of the missing in a rescue bid.
 
We erect statues to honour those who gave.
We pass medals to those who showed their mettle.
 
We write names upon names upon silent walls.
We place cut flowers on a gravestone’s echoes.
 
We turn over the years of our photo albums.
We carry in our hearts every face who mattered.
 
We send cards to signify our empathy and love.
We listen. We respond.
 
Sometimes there are no words we can say.
Because sometimes there are no words.
 
But we are here.
We offer the warmth of our arms instead.
 
Copyright Vickie Johnstone, October 18, 2023