Sadness

Do they know of sadness?
Many days spent
And a quest unfulfilled
Overturned rocks strewn about
Shed light on slimy bugs
Afraid, they run,
Dig down deep and hide
What of the hunt?
Lost ideals and empty traps
Used dismantled road signs
Now pieces of kindling in blackened pits
The embers fade
A depository for sacrificial bones
Such waste
Will anyone remember?
The vision once held promise
Soldiers long forgotten
Casualties of a dream
Stacked as cordwood
Sun baked, well done
But one remains
He may tell
And knows of sadness

from “𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭”,
Samuel DiPaola (1997)