I am Corporal Allen Stall; I am ALL those you will never know,
I am those who lived and died far away, because I went where others didn’t go.
Yes, you can call me corporal, but that really isn’t quite true,
I am ALL those who gave all that they could; I’m the one who did pay what was due.
I am the guy who doesn’t live next door; I’m the one who will never pass by,
I am the one the whole world has forgot; I am the one that no one saw die.
I am the reason you can sleep every night while holding that special one near,
I am the one who has given you that peace to enjoy “the now and the here.”
Can you imagine what went through my head when I knew it was the end of “my day?”
Not the pain as I fell; not the light that grew dim, but the “good-byes” I never would say.
Together as one, the thousands of us who answered that proverbial call,
Gave you the blessings you now so enjoy; your family, your life, this spring and last fall.
What is it then that I expect of you; the answer is not all that deep,
Not sorrow, not sympathy, not anger or hate; just a few promises I ask you to keep.
Each day you must laugh as I would have laughed; each day a heart try to mend,
Your life you must live in wonder and joy; with awe from beginning to end.
You must go to the places where I would have gone; see the glory as the sun starts to wake,
Taste the foods, take a chance, feel the wind on your face, and all for this soldier’s sake.
Hug the kids I never had, sing the songs I never heard, touch a heart that I never knew,
Be my life if you would, my soul, ears and eyes; be my voice that is known to so few.
When that Spring day rolls around; while “old glory” stands proud, and the burgers sit ready to cook,
Take more than a minute to remember the why all those lives so early were took.
What you have WAS NOT FREE, I just hope that you see; it’s a gift that I wish I had too,
I’d do it all again for that peace you enjoy, just remember, my “might have beens” all live in you.
Bob Harms
Durango
Editor’s note: U.S. Army veteran Bob Harms wrote “Remember Me” in 2008 as a reflection on the meaning of Memorial Day and the sacrifices made by service members who never returned home. The Durango Herald first published the poem that year and republished it in 2018 on its 10-year anniversary (Herald, May 28, 2018). Harms, a retired firefighter and grandfather of four, said at the time he hoped the poem would remind readers not to forget “what it took, what Memorial Day means.” We are publishing it again this year at his request.
