Parade of Days

Parade of Days

Dedicated to the Orland Families
a poem by George Hatcher

Everywhere, cross sea and land,
the sun rises,
the sun sets.
The parade of days
marches on.  Young dreams are dreamt.
Young steps are taken
to grow those dreams.
The young become.

Out of clouds and hope,
they carve
their footsteps.
Follow their footsteps
turn like pages in a book
to become their dreams.
Everywhere
but here.
Here,
time is

frozen here.
They boarded the bus
to their dreams.
And found a nightmare;
so
here they remain.
Frozen…

like dreams,
in time,
they haunt by steps not taken.
footsteps not molded.
footsteps unfollowed.
footsteps up in smoke.
Solemn in curfew from life.
Here
where unfollowed dreams
cloud the air like smoke,

let the broken mend.
Let build.
Let plan
one day to stand, walk, run, fly.