Retirement Ceremony

A Promise Kept
Margaret Fekete Csóványos


Kisses, promise, sad good-bye –

Bitter tears, sigh after sigh.

Against his will he went away –

Promised he’d be back some day.

Days that followed were full of prayer;

Hearts were heavy, filled with care.

The future seemed so far and dim –

Our thoughts were always there with him!

His letters came most every day;

‘Twas nice to talk to him that way.

He promised he’d be home again –

But didn’t know exactly when.

Then, weeks of silence, nothing more –

A telegram the message bore.

How could the heart survive the pain!

To wait for him was now in vain.

In line of duty he did his best,

With his buddies was laid to rest.

But the hero spirit cried once more

To rest upon his beloved shore.

America, this land so great,

Had white ships bring them to her gate.

And by his casket there I wept,

In life and death his promise kept…