The Envelope
There’s an envelope he keeps next to his heartIt tells of her love and her pridefor the boy that he wasand the man that he isand her wish he was still by her side. There’s an envelope she keeps next to her heartIt tells of his love and his pridefor the girl that she wasand the woman she isand his wish he was still by her side. There’s an envelope pinned over his hearta symbol that no one can missIt tells of his fear and it tells of his painIt tells of his cowardice. There’s an envelope she keeps next to her heartto hide from the world how he diedIt says “shot at dawn” and she loses her pridebut she wishes for him by her side. After the war when the grief is still rawand the graves are too far to goa monument is raised to the strong and the bravewith their names engraved row on row. His name is omittedand instead is committedto a list that holds nothing but shameit says nothing of shell shock or shaking or fearor the bravery he showed at the end. When years have passedand she joins him at lastthere’s an envelope next to her heartIt tells of her love and it tells of her prideand it tells of her longing to be by his side.