On the Eve Of Memorial Day

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Paper poppies

overlaid on our 

Grandpoppies

Immersed in mud & soil

in wars did they toil

We give them a day

and call it Memorial

One thing, however,
is absolute
a paper poppy image
can be soooooo cute

In a third ear, however,
can often be heard
Cute is, sometimes,
not the right word.

There is nothing cute

when a real gun does shoot

There is no fun thrill

when you are forced to kill

All life is unthrilled

if you are the one killed

We now live in a world

where insanity does spiral

where  a paper poppy memorial image

Is guaranteed to go viral.


But I will not hesitate to apologize to anyone offended by the tone of voice
on this page. 

That tone  happens sometimes when I think of the soldier I remember
most on Memorial Day: Ray Peterssen.

He was in Viet Nam in 1968 but did not become a Viet Nam casualty
until 2012, when he died due to having been exposed to Agent Orange.

A picture of Ray appears on the absolute bottom of every
GoodFather of Math page.

A separate  apology is due Daliscar, the photographer
responsible for the genuinely sacred image above.     
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