we are not soldiers
but we are brothers in arms.
unspoken salutes
pass between strangers.
outsiders ask if we know the passerby
the answer is always no
but we do know him
we know each other
we know what awaits us outside
even though we may be one
at any given moment
when one sees the other
a moment of solidarity
turns a head nod into a complex conversation.
time tends to wash the past away
so we pass the code to the younger generation
without their knowledge
and one day they too will pass
nod to a stranger
and both will understand the greeting
the message the history the strength
of who we are.
