@firststeps,

I also submitted a poem to the Poetry Contest and came across this post while checking out the competition. It's beautifully poignant.

I'm sorry for your loss.

There's no way to Gild the Lilly. The pain is the pain. I published a poem, and accompanying article, a while back that, perhaps, may give you a measure of comfort.

https://steemit.com/poetry/@quillfire/two-beats-poem-a-tribute-to-mothers-of-fallen-soldiers

Good luck on the contest and I'll see you around in the comment sections.