Acronyms and hugs were flying
Tears supressed
As wives sat subdued
Becoming amateur analysts
As they observed restrained
Then overt body language.
The world stopped for three days
Age-old questions were answered
When snatches of conversatons
were overheard.
We were all a CAG of survivors
In the final analysis.
More time together threatened to
Bond us all in exquisite emotion.
How would they begin to catch up-
How quickly they bared their
Hearts to each other as beats
From an arterial bleed.
In the final test, men and women sat
Spellbound as if in the most meaningful
Board meeting of their lives, as slides
And soreful tunes tested our souls and
Our composure.
Smiles, smiles on lips and in
Eyes reclaimed as the sadness
Of hearts were released for the moment.
Yes, my love, this tour was harder to get to
Than Nam.
Posted on Jan. 26, 2000