Accidentally fell
into a small clearing
in a wood
to escape from battle
and saw the bodies strewn
line on line hundreds
of soldiers by soldiers
some whole as if sleeping
other not so
loss of limbs
or damaged beyond recognition.
He stood still and stared
and wearily leaned against a tree
some of these he'd known
had smoked and joked with
and talked of home
and fireside chat with
now lying here dead
and still and silent
except for the firing of guns
and rifles and bombs exploding
in a nearby field
just thrown here
like so much wasted goods
or carcasses of dead meat.
He lit a cigarette
with shaking hands
and closed his eyes
and pretended he was home
and safe and in his mother's arms
or by the fireside
looking at the flames
then a bomb exploded
extra loud
and he couldnt recall
any of their names.
© 17 minutes ago, Terry Collett
Aug 31, 2018
Aug 31, 2018 at 3:52 AM UTC
Accidentally fell
into a small clearing
in a wood
to escape from battle
and saw the bodies strewn
line on line hundreds
of soldiers by soldiers
some whole as if sleeping
other not so
loss of limbs
or damaged beyond recognition.
He stood still and stared
and wearily leaned against a tree
some of these he'd known
had smoked and joked with
and talked of home
and fireside chat with
now lying here dead
and still and silent
except for the firing of guns
and rifles and bombs exploding
in a nearby field
just thrown here
like so much wasted goods
or carcasses of dead meat.
He lit a cigarette
with shaking hands
and closed his eyes
and pretended he was home
and safe and in his mother's arms
or by the fireside
looking at the flames
then a bomb exploded
extra loud
and he couldnt recall
any of their names.
© 17 minutes ago, Terry Collett
Request permission to use this poem