I recently discovered this poem on The World At War read by Laurence Olivier.
"Son" was written by the Russian Jewish poet Pavel Antokolsky,a year after the death of his 18 year old son Lieutenant Vladimir Antokolovsky,killed in action on June 6th,1942
Do not call me,father,do not seek me,
Do not call me,do not wish me back.
We’re on a route uncharted,fire and blood erase our tracks.
On we fly,on wings of thunder,never more to sheath our swords.
All of us in battle fallen,not to be brought back by words.
Will there be a rendezvous? I know not.
I only know we still must fight.
We are sand grains in infinity,never to meet,never more see light.
Farewell then my son.Farewell then my conscience.
My youth and my solace my one and my only.
And let this farewell be the end of a story,
Of solitude vast and which none is more lonely.
In which you remain,barred forever and ever,
From light and from air,with your death pangs untold.
Untold and unsoothed,not to be resurrected.
Forever and ever,an 18 year old.
Farewell then,no trains ever come from those regions
Unscheduled or scheduled,no aeroplanes fly there.
Farewell then my son,for no miracles happen,
As in this world dreams do not come true.
Farewell…
I will dream of you still as a baby,
Treading the earth with little strong toes,
The earth where already so many lie buried.
This song to my son,is come to its close.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread801701/pg1
It's quite bleak on the face of it but faces up to the finality and sheer pain of loss and is devoid of platitude.