IAIN KELLY

THE LAST VETERAN

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.


sea-mist
Copyright Sue Vincent

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”

  1. Kelly MacKay Avatar
    Kelly MacKay

    Good post

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Kelly

      Like

  2. Sue Vincent Avatar

    A very sad one, Iain, but the sea does resurrect old memories… and some never leave us.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  3. pensitivity101 Avatar

    I loved the linkage of the first and last line Iain.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  4. debscarey Avatar
    debscarey

    Poignant and lovely Iain.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Debs

      Liked by 1 person

  5. notestowomen Avatar

    Beautiful and poignant, Iain. I enjoyed reading it. It read like poetry.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  6. Jennie Avatar

    Wonderful!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Jennie

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Jennie Avatar

        You’re welcome, Iain.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. anuragbakhshi Avatar

    So beautiful and poignant.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Alana Mautone (@RamblinGarden) Avatar

    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.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Alana

      Like

  9. willowdot21 Avatar

    This is a deeply moving post 💜

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, I’m glad it moved you 🙂

      Like

      1. willowdot21 Avatar

        Yes indeed it did 💜

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Sarah Ann Avatar
    Sarah Ann

    Beautiful and tender, and sad bearing in mind what he must have seen.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Sarah Ann

      Like

  11. mandibelle16 Avatar
    mandibelle16

    Beautiful and heartfelt poetry Ian,. I enjoyed this one a lot. Sad, but also great rhythm and flow.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Mandi

      Liked by 1 person

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