Dog Tags

My brother and I
Divided our dad’s two
Dog tags
Small bits of
Burnished metal
He wore against his heart
From North Africa
To VE Day.

These tags
Imprinted with
The reduction of who he was
Felt the pulse
Of every heartbeat
The acrid smell
Of German 88’s
Exchange of fire
In untold combats.

These tags
Heard every prayer
Every curse word
Felt the shiver of his fear
And knew his
Hope of home.

They sweat with him
Froze with him
Would identify him
Were he to fall
But now are his son’s.

I do not deserve to wear
The tag he bore.
But I wear it
Because he was my father
And he gave me the
Honor of his name.

His time-burnished tag
Now clings to my chest
And knows the secret of my prayers
That have never known the fever
Of his.