I did not write this. A buddy from one of the sports sites I frequent wrote this. Enjoy.
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the bob man is writing this all proper and such this evening
because i want to share it
because i want everyone to read it
because it is important to me
i do not know why
many people i have met
many miles i have traveled
many places have i been
but this sticks with me
i carry it everywhere i go
it was for a photograpy class in school
shapes and patterns and contrast was the order of the day
so off i headed to the cemetary
at least once in your life
walk through a cemetary
listening to nine inche nails the fragile
perfect
it was a crisp sunny day
blue skies
green grass
stones and monuments from white to black
and many shades of gray in between
just me and my camera and trent reznor
it was after a holiday
the place was awash in sea of little red white and blue flags
it is a big cemetary
it is an old cemetary
and there are lots of veterans there
many branches of service
many wars
too many wars
i took pictures of simple stones
and complex elaborate monuments
sun bleached angels and cool shady crosses
there were flags everywhere and everyone had a flag
big stones and big titles
small simple stones and ordinary men
who had done extraordinary things
but one man had two flags
how did he do that
everyone got a flag and he scored two
privates and admirals and generals
everyone gets one flag
i took more pictures
and walked around some more
lots of dead people
whole families died in plagues
husbands died 26 years before wives
little babies who never had a chance
and old people who lived complete lives
rows upon rows upon oblique stony rows
but off in the distance
on the edge of the cemetary
was the grandaddy of them all
huge
massive
spiraling skyward
i had to see it
i had to take a picture
who could have such a monument fit for the finest royalty
a doctor of course
he even started his own school
many lifetimes later his name has faded into obscurity
his school is no more
but he got the biggest pimpinest slamminest bunch of rocks in the place
i want to take a picture
but it is too tall
i back up
and back up some more
up the hill
and just when i find the spot
i gosh darned near fall in to a pit
who in the what the heck
under the bob mans feet are leaves and overgrown grass
i get down on my hands and knees and start digging
i clear away leaves
fresh crispy leaves
old nasty rotton leaves
i pull out longs strings of grass
and reveal
private harvey
private harvey was in The Great War
they did not know it was the First World War
it was just The Great War back then
private harvey survived the war
he went on to live a long life
and here he lay now
alone
no missus private harvey by his side
no family plot with sis and mom and dad
just harvey
long forgotton
how long had he been there
when was the last time anyone ever came to this place to visit him
why did it take a stupid kid taking pictures in a cemetary to uncover him
he had no flag
he may have never had a flag
then i rememberd
amongst the angels and angles
lined up with the privates and admirals
moms and dads
lawyers guns and money
was the man with two flags
i had to find him
surely he would give up one of his two for a fellow serviceman
i must find the man with two flags
i ran around the cemetary
it was like the end of the good bad and ugly
row upon row of headstones and monuments
blurring past me
an endless row of graves
i was running and running and running
trent reznor was yelling something in my ear
i was at my wits end
then i found it
the man with two flags
i explained the situation to him
i think he understood
he didnt put up much of an arguement
i went back and found private harvey
and stuck a flag next to his little stone
once forgotten
he is now always remembered
thanks to all of the private harveys out there
