We met in a valley
by Tom Ehrich
We met in a Berkshire valley
now strangers
soon comrades
strapping lads bounding to glory
We stayed a time in the valley
reaching far
aiming high
climbing beyond our early selves
We moved on to farther places
dreams got real
tests harder
we flew, we crashed, we flew higher
Lives took surprising form out there
unforeseen
confusing
choices made in real-world chaos
Death took sixty-one in mid-flight
our roommates
our teammates
one in five, twenty percent, gone
In time all of our wings will fold
large striving
small tending
will have worked together for good
God will smile as dust reclaims us
for we tried
gave our best
and now, in God, we Rest In Peace
Thank you, Tom, for this beautiful poem.