“A War Memorial for the 21st Century,” a sculpture by Linda Cunningham, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Penn., USA. (November 23, 2018)
It seems unfair, if not unjust, to find tranquility among deserted buildings and desolate paths.
So much tranquility that verse comes unbidden to the mind.
If the bells in the tower don’t ring on the hour,
how will we know when the milk turned sour?
So much tranqility, I’ve walked by, lost in thought, without noticing the sculpture I’ve come to see.
But I know I’ve gone too far when I see the bell tower. I turn back.
The memorial is at the intersection of several paths.
There are many sculptures worth a glance.
But this I’ve come to see.
It blends into its surroundings.
A dog appears, wary of me. He barks.
His companion is not far behind.
“It’s your hat,” says the companion. “He’s not sure if you’re human.”
I remove my hat. The dog no longer barks.
They leave and I am alone with the memorial.
Four gnarled pieces of metal.
Resembling the husks of hollowed trees.
Resembling cloaks worn by unseeable bodies.
