The Healing Field - Memorial Day, 2006
Jackson, Tennessee

MEMORIAL DAY, 2006

Part One

I am waiting for you to come home
You've been gone for a couple of days
I am trying my best to adjust
I'm pretending that this is a phase

It's a spring that we both could enjoy
We could count all the leaves as they bloom
We could go for a walk in the park
Or just lie on that bed in your room

We could talk all those hours away
Or fall silent – just not talk at all
I am waiting for you to come home
And, I know if you could - you would call

Part Two

She is waiting for you to come home
You've been gone now, for how many years?
Though She tries to wake up with a smile
She admits that some times there are tears

When she wakes and thinks you have returned
And She ponders the meal She will cook
And She wonders at those who have gone
Was it angels or devils who took?

All the Fathers and Mothers and Sons
All the daughters and cousins and friends
She is waiting for you to come home
Yes. That is always the way her day ends

Part Three

And begins every morning in May
As the snap of a shot starts to click
I am clocking my memories of you
As the tock in my heart starts to tic

I am waiting on you to come home
Though some part of me fears you might not
So I search for that place in my soul
Where your spirit is never forgot

But your physical presence is key
I have never forgotten your touch
I am praying for you to survive
Do you think that is asking too much?

Part Four

I am waiting for you to arrive
While memorial bells take their toll
So I go for a walk in our park
Where the tomb stones grab hold of my soul

And those monuments built for our troops
Are now dotted with colorful flags
There's a part of us, never consoled
And at times, this damn weekend just drags

But I'm waiting to say, "Welcome Home"
And impatient for you to arrive
And I know as this month rounds the bend
In my heart you are always alive

©Copyright May 26, 2006 by Robin Amy Bass

Awarded: May 30, 2006