Christmas Ritual

Remembering those who were lost. (Form: Cascade)

Christmas Ritual


The small pine glistens in the light
adorned with dog tags of those gone.
They’re shining memories in the night
as darkness yields before the dawn.

Each Christmas we adorn the tree -
a moment’s pause, a hallowed rite -
to honor those who’ve kept us free.
The small pine glistens in the light.

A gentle wind is faintly heard.
It seems to command, “Carry on!”
Perhaps the branches have been stirred
adorned with dog tags of those gone.

The silver dances; each tag sheds
sparks of light, small beacons bright.
We feel their presence as it spreads.
They’re shining memories in the night.

The price of freedom has been paid.
There’s no resistance as we're drawn
ever onward, unafraid
as darkness yields before the dawn.

An entry for the December round of "Honoring Our Veterans - Challenge" 
Form: Cascade ~ The Cascade is a form invented by Udit Bhatia. For the cascade poem, take each line from the first stanza of a poem and make those the final lines of each stanza afterward.