church bells will be ringing
eleven times church bells were ringing
rising moon faintly shining on new year’s night
slender and somber and silently emerging
brothers in arms assembled in town’s square
followed by women and children and elders
all awakened by resoundingly familiar tolling
they’ve been called to march down this road before
paved over many times by many generations
redefining a past that refuses to be changed
though all the statues have long been raised
resilient memories are much harder to replace
stamped inside stories unwritten and retold
august two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
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