November 11, 2012

• Armistice Day

  The cold was bitter. White flakes fell gently, not enough to blanket the countryside except in the most symbolic of senses. Amid the falling snow harsh voices shouted out into the air, guns discharged, and cannon thundered.

  They came, in twos and threes, black-suited, and stark white, the Princess stepped out from among them. She had gone without her parasol and bonnet: white she stood, hair uncovered to the snow. The people would understand. Alone she stood, a single, blinding white candle in an army of shadows.

  The people came, and gathered. There were words, and at a certain time, the heavy black covering over a slab of stone was thrown back. The people were silent, and appreciated it. Then they left, trickling away.

  The Princess stood sleeveless in the snow until the last of them had gone, and simply faded out.

  Then there was only the stone.

  BENEATH THIS STONE RESTS THE BODY
  OF A NOBLE CATGIRL
  UNKNOWN BY NAME OR RANK
  BROUGHT FROM FIELDS OF BATTLE TO LIE AMONG
  THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS OF THE LAND
  AND BURIED HERE ON ARMISTICE DAY
  – : —-, IN THE PRESENCE OF
  HER MAJESTY THE PRINCESS OF EIGHT
  HER MINISTERS OF STATE
  THE CHIEFS OF HER FORCES
  AND A VAST CONCOURSE OF THE NATION

  THUS ARE COMMEMORATED THE MANY
  MULTITUDES WHO DURING THE GREAT
  WAR OF 1333 – 1337 GAVE THE MOST THAT
  CAT CAN GIVE: LIFE ITSELF
  FOR MOE
  FOR LOVED ONES HOME AND EMPIRE
  FOR THE SACRED CAUSE OF RATINGS AND
  THE JUSTICE OF THE WORLD

  Reprinted from August 2008. All rights reserved.

  • 2:31 pm
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