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Bonnie Apr 7
Operation Overlord - 156,000
British forces at Normandy - 61,000
Troops on Gold Beach -24,000
Troops in the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division - 18,000
Troops in 8th Battalion - 800
two-inch mortar team - 2
Troop at war within a war - 1

Among tens of thousands ultimately it was one on one,
fighting with self, the unholy fear that sat undigested
with the bile and ration biscuit.

My Grandad survived this
He came back, yes, but he was not the same man
He scrambled ashore under the crack of mortar fire
and the scream of steel against sand.
The war took away chunks of him—pieces he could never get back. Something had changed in the way he stood,
the way he looked at the world,
as though he carried an invisible weight
that no one else could see.

At first, his laughter would still bubble up,
his humour slicing through the tension of everyday life,
as sharp and wry as it had always been.
Yet behind the jokes, there was a shadow,
a far-off echo of horror, the smell of salt and explosive,
the faces of comrades lost in moments too fleeting for words.
He buried it all, carefully,
under layers of quiet strength and fatherly love.
His family would never need to bear it;
it was his burden alone.

He returned to the vagaries of civilian life,
to conversations about the weather and pansies,
to cups of tea and headaches,
to the small joys and irritations that make up a life.
But there were nights when the past surged up like a tide,
relentless and suffocating. In those moments, he would sit alone in the dark, *** end in his hand gripping his knee,
and wrestled with the ghosts of Normandy.
He never spoke of it to his children.
Not the fear. Not the chaos.
Not the image of himself kneeling over a mortar
with trembling hands,
fighting not just the enemy but the primal terror of death.

Instead, he built a life for those he loved,
pouring himself into the role of father and grandfather,
filling the silence with stories
of building inspections and seaside holidays.
His silence about the war was not an omission but a shield—
an act of love to protect his family
from horrors they should never have to know.
And in that silence, there was heroism too,
a quiet bravery in choosing to carry the unthinkable alone.
Some thoughts about my Grandad, long gone but always loved. Though he never spoke of this he lived and survived it nonetheless
Gary Feb 12
The Washington mayor
said there was nothing to do,
only thoughts and prayers
we can offer to you.

as lights flashed blue,
and lights flashed red,
their souls are sleeping
on the riverbed.

while the CEO announced
to family and friends,
that his only regret
were the downward trends.

Casually dressed
to allay their fears,
he hoped his words
would dry their tears.
#d
Sarangi Nov 2021
Us
If I couldn’t stand rejection, I might not have loved you enough
Loving you doesn’t mean that I deserve your soul
You have right to find what you deserve
If you did not find what you seek for
You can leave, you have the right to go
the gate is always open
If you decide to stay and cherish what we have
You can come inside. You are very welcome.
So,
Love me or love me not
I won’t blame you.
A love shouldn’t end with a steaming hatred in heart
You might have not loved me enough
There is no laws, no theories would say that the people we love should be belong to us
If you are happy somewhere, that's enough.
Love you unconditionally,
So,
I let go my ego to own a space from your heart
Here onwards,
No struggle to hear your voice
Nor to see your handsomeness
Nor to feel your warm breaths on my lips
I made my peace
I don’t need ears to hear you or eyes to see you
I immersed my self in our small but sweet memories
So I could rejoice them
In a blink of an eye,
Have a walk on the beach
Sun drowning
Little water splashes
Wet clothes and two hot souls
Igniting desire
Beautiful butterfly flew away
Leaving  a tear of pleasure in her eyes…….
#d
Diane K Pak Jul 2021
A friend tells me I am once in a lifetime.

A friend tells me I am no one second option.

A friend tells me I am one of a kind.

A friend tells me I am loyal.

A friend tells me I am humble.

But, I tell me to a friend who tells these things because I couldn't remember what it meant to be a once in a lifetime.
#d
Jonathan Moya Jul 2020
Shout into the eyes
of sunlight
of the boy who dances in the light.

Every dragon’s death
foretells this child
onto even the smallest realm.

The Phoenix is an ally
to the boy
who forges worlds.

The stars proclaim his shine
this boy who dances in the light.

He is the boy
who flies
into the sun
and does not dissolve.

His chariot with flashing wheels
races with the rainbow.

He is the boy who
sells the golden trinkets
with 1001 truths in the bazaar.

Even the baubles know not all his stories
of pirates, pashas, tigers and kings.

After all has been vended
this boy with the wondrous tongue
will wipe the sweat of his brow
into the most damask bottle
and proclaim it genie’s breath.
Yazad Tafti Apr 2020
i'm mount st helen and i'm about erupt and spew this magma all over your  sacred, unchallenged city
yosemite national park am i and this geyser is about unleash steam deep into your ****** pores
you'll get a steam cleaning better than most nurturing spa's give in their treatment
you're that piece of slightly scuffled down fabric and i'm a needle dying to put my thread through your ever so narrow orifices
i'm the whale and i've been submerged in water long enough to have my blow hole spray like an 18th century stone sculpted fountain
i'm a landmine waiting to be triggered and you just miraculously stepped on my area of the turf
i'm the colours of holi and you just walked through an empty corridor paralleled with balconies of festive celebrators in your brand spanking new WHITE nikes and plain white 'mother says don't get your new shirt ***** or you'll be handwashing this with a gallon of detergent' t-shirt
i'm aaa--aaAAA--- AUHHHHHHHHHHH

i'm at peace once again,,, but i'm - a - building it up just again

**** THIS ISOLATIon
**** THIS ISOLATION
Bhill Mar 2020
do you remember the gramophone
funnel shaped speaker and its really bad tone
the memory came back on this mornings walk
not at all sure why, but I could sure hear it squawk
the high tone sound of that very large disc
you had to wind it up so, that disc would spin brisk

it was a joyful thought and set my mind at ease
now have a good day with old memories please..

Brian Hill - 2020 # 88
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