I came home
Touched the invisible blood on the door
My thoughts
Far from the tomato sauce
Gushing through the fresh wounds
Close
To my wife
But an ocean away
From her reality

Did I survive  
By merit
Or did I steal a life
From the trenches
Dug deep
Made to last
In my memory
People dying
Limbs flying
Across that dreadful expanse
Empty
Yet filled with fear

So pungent

The hooded yellow figures
Who burned holes in our throats
The hooded black figure
Who never left alone
Unlike myself
Who lost
More than I can take
Is
Everything
Said
Through gritted teeth