I watched him talking with
A group of other older gentlemen,
Reminiscing about their days of service.
He laughed with them.
Smiled with them,
Regaled them with stories
Of his time in Germany,
Flying gliders in the mountains,
Soaring above the clouds,
The old red pickup truck
With the high-speed winch
They used to launch them.
Skiing in the alps,
Going to beer halls,
Traveling through France,
Sightseeing in Paris
The view from the top of the Eiffel tower.
I hadn’t seen him this at ease
This alive, in quite a while.
This day, this afternoon
These few moments
In the company of peers,
He was himself once again.
Earlier today he could not
Remember my name.
