Ebb and flow, waving goodbye, waving hello.
So the sea goes, ceaselessly.
Old feet on fresh sand.
The water no longer running red.
Memories crashing inside his head like waves on the shore.
Creaking knees bend, arthritic hands dig into the ground.
One old tear trickles down weathered skin.
He will never visit again. He thinks of those who never left.
He waves at the sea and the sea waves back.
Goodbye to one more brave soul.
This land claimed them all in one way or another.
So life goes on ceaselessly.
Ebb and flow, waving hello, waving goodbye.

This is a response to the Thursday Photo Prompt – Waves curated over at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo. Click on the link to read other stories inspired by the image.
27 responses to “THE LAST VETERAN”
Good post
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Thank you Kelly
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A very sad one, Iain, but the sea does resurrect old memories… and some never leave us.
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Thanks Sue
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🙂
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I loved the linkage of the first and last line Iain.
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Thank you.
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Poignant and lovely Iain.
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Thank you Debs
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Beautiful and poignant, Iain. I enjoyed reading it. It read like poetry.
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Thank you 🙂
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Wonderful!
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Thank you Jennie
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You’re welcome, Iain.
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So beautiful and poignant.
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Thank you
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Perhaps he walks on the shores of a beach in France, or near Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The members of the Greatest Generation will all be gone soon, along with their memories.
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Thanks Alana
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[…] Continue reading at Iain Kelly […]
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This is a deeply moving post 💜
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Thank you, I’m glad it moved you 🙂
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Yes indeed it did 💜
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Beautiful and tender, and sad bearing in mind what he must have seen.
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Thanks Sarah Ann
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[…] Iain Kelly […]
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Beautiful and heartfelt poetry Ian,. I enjoyed this one a lot. Sad, but also great rhythm and flow.
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Thank you Mandi
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