the remaining trees bore witness
to the stares of men
seeking out death
so they could avoid it
the remaining trees grow strong
on the bodies of men
who found it
never to return home
to loved ones
ordinary jobs
ordinary lives
no one can come here
the land still poisoned
by the hate of those determined
to **** each other
with
lead, chlorine
mercury and arsenic
unexploded shells and grenades
can still **** 100 years on
it is quiet
nature is allowed the freedom
to grow
fill the void
that was once mud
trenches and shell holes
this really is no man's land
because we made it so
There are areas in France called Zone Rouge, where it is still too dangerous to go after WW1, they estimate it will take 300 years to clear them.
The title was WW1, but I have changed it after N's comment to the iron harvest which is a much better title. You can see his work here:
https://hellopoetry.com/u738268/