On December 14th, hundreds of people will give up their day to lay wreaths on the graves of our soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Anyone can help by sponsoring a wreath, volunteering, or inviting friends to help. On January 11th, just as many will gather to take them off. Volunteers will lay a wreath on each veteran’s grave — more than a quarter-million wreaths altogether — and each veteran’s name will be spoken aloud to honor them. An absolute honor. You can read about it here.

For many cultures, wreaths represent notions of eternity, continuity, and memory. ... In the military tradition of wreath-laying ceremonies, this reverent gesture marks sacred ground. A suspended wreath eternally embodies this ritual of remembrance.

I have incorporated a #WednesdayWalk By @Tattoodjay with a visit to the Caisson, a horse-drawn carriage of sorts used to transport during funerals at Arlington Cemetery in Washinton, DC. Join me as we peek in on them as they are done for the day.

There are six horses, and they will pull the flag-draped casket that is laid on a black artillery caisson. Incidentally, there is a black team and a white team of horses.

The caissons were built in 1918, and used for 75mm cannons. They were originally equipped with ammunition chests, spare wheels, and tools used for the cannons. Today these have been removed and replaced with the flat deck on which the casket rests - taken from The Old Guard Caisson Platoon.

Every day is a training day for them. I have never seen one falter, ever. Standing patiently and waiting to begin their journey down the path.

This is the black team. I got to go back to the barn and watch them as they ended their long day, one that had started at 4 am and it was already 4 pm and they still had to groom and feed them. It is a long day, but, they are dedicated and it is a coveted assignment. It is an honor to be the one to honor thy brother and lay him to rest. A brother in arms.

Day is done. It is a long day, as today was their funeral day. One day on,one day off. The off day is a training day. These men work together like a finely tuned machine. Watching their synchronize movements, their stance. It is absolutely mesmerizing. The cadence, the movement. All part of their training.

Hanging the gear in the next barn. Each piece of equipment is cleaned, each brass buckle is cleaned and buffed before they go home. You will never hear a complaint.

Horse kisses.The riders and their horses are close and it shows. Their is great respect between the two. What an honor to be part of this regiment. For him. For the horse.

They all know their job and they do it well, training every day, every day. I have been told that the dignity and grace to which they do their jobs is not accidental nor is it instinctive. It is a leaned duty, and they all consider it an honor to serve.

Came upon the Caisson Platoon this summer at Ft. Meyer. The six horses which pull the caisson through the quiet lanes of Arlington National Cemetery are matched. They are paired into three teams – the lead team is in front, the swing team follows, and nearest the caisson is the wheel team. Although all six animals are saddled, only those on the left have mounted riders. This is a tradition which began in the early horse-drawn artillery days when one horse of each team was mounted while the other carried provisions and feed - taken from The Old Guard Caisson Platoon.

And just like that, this post is done! I want to thank @tattoodjay for hosting the WednesdayWalk challenge! I would like to see where you walked today and see what you got to see. I hope you had a fabulous time and I think we should meet up here again next week! Until then, keep on smiling~!!

A flower. Always. This flower is dedicated to #Wednesday Yellow #ColorChallenge by @Kalemandra, who colors my world, every single day.

Let the sun shine in on your life
So the joy may touch your soul

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Thank you for visiting my post 💖 Because of you, I come back to post, again and again, I am encouraged by you, for the time you take to visit, comment or even upvote. For all of these reasons, I am eternally grateful. Don't ever forget what a wonderful world we live in, people. Let's hold hands around the globe and make this earth really spin. Some days, it is not as easy to see, how wonderful it really is. Kindness counts. Wherever you go, whatever you do.

they set my aunts house on fire
i cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
i called the boy who use to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
i said hello
he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?

i’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like;
dear god
i come from two countries
one is thirsty
the other is on fire
both need water.

later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered,
"where does it hurt?"
it answered,

"everywhere"
"everywhere"
"everywhere"

warsan shire

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