Fiftieth Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1991 – Return of the Survivors

Unsteady gait,

bent over testimony to the gentle unkindness of the years,

with outlandish aloha shirts,

bought at an ABC Store, or at Sears Ala Moana,

They are here.

White, bony, bowlegged,

with their VFW caps bearing names of ships that are no more…

They are here

these warriors,

To their mystical Pacific Valhalla

they have come, to once again bear their shields,

now dead of rust, and to

drink the bitter wine of memories,

hidden on a dairy farm in Wisconsin,

or hardware store in New Hampshire…

Forced now to the surface of the bay, at Pearl.

Please, please don’t miss them because they are feeble;

confused by the play of the enemy’s

tourist grandchildren,

whirling around them, as the

Zeros whirled around them

that Sunday morn.

Look at their eyes. It’s in their eyes. Can you see?

The fire still white hot as they

scurry for the wounded, and

man the out-numbered guns, and

pull up the overboard, and

still cry old men’s tears

for the dream-dry stare in eyes of the dead.