Clifford

© John Tabah

Entering my world like a rocket,
I received your email requesting information
about a life lost long ago in an unforgettable war.

I hold in my memory the ending you need
about what happened that night, as it is
a part of my life’s story and sorrow.

Your sister’s life was changed that day and
closure is needed beyond the sound of the doorbell
and the words of a letter carried by a man in uniform.

You ask for information about the last hours
lived by the man, Clifford, my friend.
and I am able over thirty-three years later to tell you.

Late at night just before the
“hostile rocket attack”, Clifford was writing
a letter home to his loved ones.

Clifford’s thoughts were
with those at home as he died
in the moment that shattered lives.

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