We Met in a Valley

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