Pillars push up

into the sky.

Each pillar represents

a battle,

a brave soldier,

a hero,

glory,

and also

the chug of engines,

the taste of gunsmoke,

the explosion of a bombshell,

the burst of light, heat,

and death.

The loss of human life,

in the name of justice.

Water flows,

rising peacefully from the pool,

the life giving substance,

a centerpiece for our remembrance

of years of slaughter.

Off to the side,

unnoticed,

sunbeams bounce off

bright golden stars,

each star

one hundred deaths,

the real story,

of a war.

The cost of life,

in the name of justice.

Victory at a price.