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) - Published: November 18th, 2020 04:53
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 41
Offline)
Comments6
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.
...... Thanks our Fay my lovely poetic friend ... much appreciated too, as always .. Neville
.................... x
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!
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 )
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.
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
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.
thank you most kindly my friend, many thanks indeed, a much appreciated visit and comment left behind ...
... Neville
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
Good on ya GF60 .. I knew I could count on you sir ... Yes, absolutely, we MUST remember them..
Neville
a moving and dispiritingly vivid tribute, good write
& may we never forget!
and a moving review too if ya dont mind me sayin ... just sayin .............. cheers my dear friend n poet ..
Neville
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