Pondering Pearl Harbor 75 years later

On that Sunday in December,
morning broke and shattered peace
as the Japanese attacked our anchored fleet.
Might you know someone who witnessed
that grim day of infamy?
It’s a day our nation contemplates this week.

The pearl of Honolulu
(like a gemstone of the sea)
gleamed with beauty while reflecting Nature’s light.
But that jewel became the target
of a nation bent on war
that would bomb the living daylights into night.

We still grieve for those who perished
in Pearl Harbor’s bloody bay
as we listen to survivors tell their tale.
In their well-rehearsed descriptions
of the Hell that they observed
you can see the flames and hear the victims wail.

Let the images recounted
animate our firm resolve
to defuse the threat of war at any cost.
May that nightmare that still haunts us
find us praying for world peace
as we take some time to honor those we lost.

*This poem is dedicated to Lois Dusenbery. At the time of this post, at 104 years of age, she was the oldest resident at Covenant Shores Retirement Community and was an eyewitness to the attack at Pearl Harbor.