.

It’s Veteran’s Day, November 11th,

and the year is 2011.

Nothing special will happen today

other than the date of 11/11/11.

.

Perhaps that date would be more special

if the year were 1111 —

except it wouldn’t be Veteran’s Day.

.

It would ’‘really’‘ be special

Before the Common Era;

do you think they’d get excited

when I brought them the news?

except, I’d have to invent the calendar.

.

So 11/11/11 at 11:11 is special to me;

and I wonder what am I missing?

what other excitement?

I suppose no one like myself

will ever come to visit me,

as I so generously proposed,

to those on either side of the year 1111,

to announce something special,

or invent something like a calendar.

.

It’s November 11th and it’s Veteran’s Day,

and the year is 2011.

We’re back to the present.

And nothing special will happen today;

other than I’m a Vet, too, and I remember —

.

I remember how mean everyone was;

how they booed and spat upon us;

not like today, where a Vet is special.

I remember feeling ashamed.

We wouldn’t wear our uniforms off a base.

We’d wear ‘’civies’‘,

but I’m sure people still noticed —

you know, the short hair look, the clean look.

.

The Sixties —

‘’It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,’‘

to steal from Mr. Dickens.

But it was similar —

It was a revolution.

.

It’s different today;

and it’ll probably be different tomorrow,

and I’ll bet those folks of 1111,

either side,

wouldn’t be much impressed either.

.

.

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Copyright © 2011 Marvin Loyd Welborn. All Rights Reserved.

revised 13 Nov. 2011