PEARL HARBOR

Yes, I remember. Charley Merserve and I had come to his house for a weekend off from Fryeburg Academy. Here is a poem published years ago in Galley Sail Review — with a few current changes.

Jackson, New Hampshire: Sun., Dec. 7, 1941

Visiting at Charley's house (hymns from

the radio on the nightstand between

twin beds) as we discussed the diminished

possibility of still being give breakfast

when down the air waves, but not from

Marathon, the runner came and in that

white-painted, sun-drenched room above

a yard brilliant with the fresh snow 

we'd taken a weekend from school

to explore we both were suddenly 

Athenian (or was it Spartans) and

quicker than thought, as our fathers

had taught us, we said we'd come.

We didn't wait for Pheidippides, the

runner to come, to tell us we'd won.

********

And here, after 70 years, we wait again

for the runner's spirit to appear and

tell us, if we've not won, we're done.