Lawrence Hall
Mhall46184@aol.com  
https://hellopoetry.com/lawrence-hall/
poeticdrivel.blogspot.com

                          We Have No Enemies Among the Dead

                              For the Young Crew of the Moskva
                                                  14 April 2022

                                Eternal Father, strong to save,
                                Whose arm hath bound the restless wave...
                                O hear us when we cry to thee
                                For those in peril on the sea

                                             -The Navy Hymn

Proud admirals and presidents rattle their medals

The young - in screams among burst steam lines die
Explosions and darkness and seawater and hatches sealed
The bulkheads blown, there is no up, no down
Only pain and horror and throat-torn shrieks

Proud admirals and presidents jing-aling their medals

Training manuals, pocketknives, and comic books
Naughty pinups, letters from Mom, wrenches, and boots
Toolboxes, ball-point pens, and coffee cups
Fall with the young deep down into the sea

Proud admirals and presidents dazzle the room with their medals

Mothers and fathers grieve in emptiness
Our Leaders caution them to mind their attitude

Proud admirals and presidents – to Hell with their medals