<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:106%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> D-DAY VIGIL<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On tenterhooks in her parents’ home<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the war-ravaged English Midlands, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>she sat and watched as the sky darkened <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with fog and clusters of aircraft,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>great birds of prey now bent on<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>an unknown mission of salvation,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Formed a relentless migration toward the coast.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>With restless energy, she stirred a pot of lentil soup,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Switched on the wireless, and put the kettle on the hob.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sensing her American paratrooper beau <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>was involved in this frenzy, the young woman <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>who would become my mother prayed silently<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>amidst droning planes and simmering soup.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> -Sally Rosenthal- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>