Upon Them Light Will Shine
In Memory Of the Fallen at Gettysburg, 1-3 July 1863
Upon them Light will shine
At a cradled depth,
On regiments who picked up bullets
Whose blood could not rest
Above the tombstone stretches
Of vying death.
Upon them Light will shine
On the bloodiest ground,
At the mercy of Abram's journey,
On the gallant and strong,
Gentled in Grief's hands
And the eagle's blunt song.
Upon them Light will shine
Where trees will not wither,
Flaunting their green blades,
Oblivious of winter,
Where the memories of Mercy
Burn fiercer.
Sleep, Brothers,
Sleep like shapes of a dream,
a flower bed in the dust of night.
The clouds crouch down in the sky.
The birds feed closer.
A strong wind is growing in size.
The Spirit is shaking.
There's room enough to share the same Union.
Sleep by that woman wedded to you,
O fallen friend!
Her hair steaks your spangled flag,
borne on a black wreath.
Sleep from that handshake beyond your grasp,
your broken dream.
Sleep from that trumpet far away,
split with its cracked sound,
For the Lord commands a blessing
on this hallowed ground.
by James Wm. Chichetto
... who is a freelance poet, with eight books of verse to his
credit, and works appearing in The Native American Poetry
Anthology, The First Abbey Wood Anthology, The
Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix,
The Colorado Review, Gargoyle,
The Manhattan Review, Poem,
The Paterson Review. He is related to combat
veterans of the Korean War and World War Two; and teaches at
Stonehill College.