The speaker stands beside an elderly veteran at what seems to be a remembrance service, judging by the poppy and the monument. He has swapped his uniform for a suit, and the poem lists its "belts and buckles, clasps and laces" before cutting them off with a blunt "All." Yet his medals still catch the autumn light, so the military life hasn't really left him.
The speaker watches with quiet respect. The lines on his face are tied to the war, and the line "bind me to my scars" suggests he chooses to hold on to what happened rather than forget it. At the end he walks slowly to the monument and rests a hand on the stone, saying goodbye to his lost comrades "again." That word hints that this farewell is repeated, perhaps every year. The mood is solemn, gentle and tender, with grief and pride sitting side by side.