Memorial Day

He sat and watched
with others as some
tried to make do
with what they had
in the large room
the sun shining through
the open windows
on Memorial Day
at the nursing home
a few were brave enough
to speak up and tell their stories
but he remained silent
and wondered if any would know
that a B-25 was a Mitchell
and that he had once flown over
Burma
and not much later
over so many tiny islands
that he couldn't remember names
that he'd never known
but the island hopping
as they called the campaign
was always with him
as he remembers
for another day
that it was those down below
fighting on those jungle islands
the ones that survived
those were the ones
that earned the right
not
to remain silent.