Reminders of Valor

I saw a glint at the café, caught my breath,

a dog tag swinging, it spoke of death.

Cold metal against warm skin, a weight like lead,

a history etched, a silence unsaid.

You wore it proudly, your life on display,

but all that’s left now is echoes of gray.

The chairs are empty where laughter once played,

reminders of valor, of debts never paid.

I hold it now, cradled in hands that shake,

a piece of your courage, the promise we make.

In a world full of noise, your memory sings,

like a flag in the wind, it still flutters and clings.