Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, a man wearily
Stood on the sidewalk of a small Middle
Tennessee town begging
God to give him a sign—anything—
To strengthen his faith and a reassurance
That his only son was in heaven. Then, miraculously,
He noticed a cloud formation that looked
Exactly like Jesus, the Son of God,
Suspended in the western sky.

The deified cloud formation gave comfort to the old man as he
Patiently waited for the parade to start.
But then, the cloud grew darker
And rain Began to pour from his heavenly vision as a violent
Thunderstorm arose. The parade
To honor his son and all the other fallen
Soldiers had to be cancelled due to the sudden downpour.
“How can his happen to me!” he exclaimed in disgust—
Shaking his fist in the air. The man
Was cursing God for disrupting
The Memorial Day parade that so many town-folk
Had planned and worked on for months to honor
His son and the many other fallen soldiers.

I ducked into a tavern for a cold beer. It rained hard
For at least 30 minutes. As the rain finally subsided—
Walking to my car—I noticed the old man was still
Standing on the sidewalk—cursing the clouds.