VIETNAM WAR MEMORIAL, WASHINGTON DC

Black granite, shiny, names on a wall
Slain heroes of a forgotten war who once stood tall
Black granite, shiny, letters written in blood
Visited by many, remembered by few, like crosses in hallowed mud.

We shall triumph, the President swore
A generation decimated in a futile war
Wives widowed, families shattered, mothers wept
Brave men one and all, they eternally slept.

Memories are all that remain today
Weeping yellow roses that the faithful lay
Each name, a pain in someone’s heart
Little has changed, life affords no restart.

Black granite, shiny, names on a wall
Of soldiers fallen answering a nation’s call
Black granite, shiny, names etched in stone
Sons, husbands, fathers and brothers: remembered silently alone.

Black granite, shiny, the Vietnam memorial
Valhalla for the fifty-eight thousand, a swollen wall
Black granite, shiny, proud stars and striped

A nation grieves in silence, many a tear wiped.