Comforting Ranks

I went marching in the ranks of men

And my Dad was up ahead
And just a little further up
Was my Grandpa's hoary head

So every day we moved along
Forward in our ranks
Sharing life, joy and strife
We gloried in our threesome strength

But then the old man left our ranks
No longer up ahead
So Dad moved up to take his place
And I moved up to Dad's

And then one day as we marched along
Dad was also gone
And I moved up to be in front
I felt so much alone

Until I looked behind my rank
And I made a wondrous find
It was my own son - one row back
And his son just behind

                                            P. Davis