Trench Life

Neville

Trench Life

 

 

The beating of their hearts

Like thunder sounded


Muted though still loud

Like sixty thousand drums

All beating


Neath those sixty thousand

Khaki blouses ...

 

Loud enough to drown out

Cussing and the fretting


Plus the retching and the

Heaving


Not to mention all the heavy

Breathing


There was an awful lot of that

 

Let none of us forget tho’

The sound of mouthed

And whispered prayers


The snap of fixing bayonets

Oh’ and yes

Those bloody goddam shells

 

Then comes a burst or two of

Machine spat sound and light

Both deafeningly loud and

Oh’ so blindingly bright

 

Through razor-wire and flesh

They cut 

On what should surely

Just have been another


Quiet, still and starless night ...

 

  • Author: Neville (Offline Offline)
  • Published: November 18th, 2020 04:53
  • Category: Unclassified
  • Views: 41
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Comments +

Comments6

  • Fay Slimm.

    Razor-sharp versing of nightly horrors when war blocked all quiet - your ink paints scenes we should never forget of men whose lives or senses never returned again to a homeland. Shame on those conniving such sacrifice and thanks my friend for this needed reminder.

    • Neville



      ...... Thanks our Fay my lovely poetic friend ... much appreciated too, as always .. Neville
      .................... x

    • orchidee

      A fine write Neville.
      Meanwhile - I remember it well, from The Boer Wars - I was in them, being very old!
      I never took part though. I thought they were in Australia, so I headed there. Doh!

      • Neville


        The Boer War was far more brutal than many might imagine .. but then no war is pretty .. you were very lucky they didn't mistake going in the wrong direction for desertion .. cheers )

      • dusk arising

        Madness isn't. And had they not been mown down by machine gun fire what mayhem had they been induced to afflict upon reaching enemy lines.

        Other nations were motivated by bygone despots, dictators and kings..... they too mourn their losses.

        And of course the innocents, victims of genocide and war.

        All we need is love.

        These thoughts produced by reading your moving piece. All the more moving for the beauty above in your quiet, still and starless night.

        • Neville


          thank you kindly my friend .. I agree entirely ... in fact, I saw for the first time yesterday one of the most harrowing B&W photos of a very young German boy who was clearly as distressed as any of our lads might have been & under precisely the same circumstances ..... it is far too easy to forget that at the end of the day, we are of the same species isn't it .... Take care and stay safe DA..

          Neville

        • Clara

          This is such a cinematic portrayal of what we can only assume to be the horrific realities of war. You've done a wonderful job with this. Very impactful.

          • Neville



            thank you most kindly my friend, many thanks indeed, a much appreciated visit and comment left behind ...

            ... Neville

          • Goldfinch60

            Very good words about an horrendous situation where so many innocents died, if only we had learned from that time.
            WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

            Andy

            • Neville



              Good on ya GF60 .. I knew I could count on you sir ... Yes, absolutely, we MUST remember them..

              Neville

            • L. B. Mek

              a moving and dispiritingly vivid tribute, good write
              & may we never forget!

              • Neville



                and a moving review too if ya dont mind me sayin ... just sayin .............. cheers my dear friend n poet ..

                Neville



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