To Mum, Dad and my beloved: A poem 

Don’t stand shy in the shadows 

But in my battalion’s forefront 

I have kept my blooms in proud rows 

in flowerbeds that are never sunburnt 

Lilies, dahlias, daffodils, all bright 

make the gardener’s imagination take flight 

I have no cause to fear winter’s blight 

The garden of my soul is always in sight 

Rainbows like lightning strike each bush 

where fountains of creation’s beams are let loose 

And, in my mind’s mirror, I can see 

that the passage of time has let them be 

How much do I owe? A billion four score 

The silent sacred gifts emblazoning my door 

And I’ll think it is worth my while 

for their sacrifices, to pay with my life