I was looking through some old files when I found the following poem. I'd largely forgotten about it. It was published way back in 1992 in Midnight Zoo, Volume 2, Issue 5. I used to write quite a few rhyming poems but haven't done one in ages now. Thought I'd just run it here.
A SOUND TO WAR
The bull roarers,
they are roaring
A frightful thing
to hear
And the mothers
know too soon
They'll hold the
still ones dear
The horns, they
are a'wailing
And the
spearheads glitter long
But it's nothing
like the glory
To be told about
in song
The bagpipes,
they are skirling
As the widow's
brood is borne
Down coomb into
the valley
Where last the
sheep were shorn
The mortars, they
are booming
And the
shrapnel's in the grass
Down in the
jungle deltas
When will he see
his lass
The jets, they
are a'screaming
Above the
pockmarked waste
And the targets
go down easy
You'll never see
his face
The silence is
astounding
Where warriors
were at work
In a place of
bone and blood
Where all but
ravens shirk
----
----
whew...nice cadence to this...almost like the drums of war themselves...the silence i think is the most unsettling part...war...not for the faint of heart, that is for sure.
ReplyDeleteGreat anti war piece--which is why you write so well of conflict in lands and places far off, at heart you're a pacifist. Love this piece of writing Charles.
ReplyDeleteBrian the thing about war is everyone believes they don't have the courage for it until the first bullet fly's by your ear, then fear drops away with the desire to live through it. Detroit is like this.
That is really powerful, Charles.
ReplyDeleteBrian, thanks, man.
ReplyDeleteMark, I am. I remember when I was young and thought that there was glory in war. I know better now.
Alex, thanks. Glad you liked it.
Good one, Charles. I enjoy reading rhyming poems but, I think, they're not the easiest of poems to pen. I hope you find a few more of these.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very powerful piece, my friend.
ReplyDeleteA truly fine poem, Charles, even if the subject is not so fine.
ReplyDeleteRight on ~ and always current through the ages / spaces /timezones.
ReplyDeleteStrong lines, Charles. Especially liked "Above the pockmarked waste/And the targets go down easy. Sharp.
ReplyDeletePrashant, they are pretty hard. At least to do something that isn't an easy rhyme.
ReplyDeleteBernard, I appreciate that.
Oscar, thanks, man. Glad you appreciated it.
Erik, very true. I hope someday we can break the chain.
David, thanks for the kind words!
I heard this as a song with a strong Celtic flavor.
ReplyDeleteStirring, Charles. "In a place of bone and blood." Love this piece. Thanks for sharing this side of you.
It reminds me of "Where have all the flowers gone" - it's nothing like that song, but it gives me the same feeling when I read it.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I was probably reading a lot of Celtic related stuff when I wrote this. I don't remember much anymore.
ReplyDeleteRachel, thankee. Been a long time since I heard that song.
Some of the long forgotten habits of old times should be brought back to practice again ;)
ReplyDeleteA moving poem, indeed.
And I liked the comments, too.
Buried somewhere in my (paper) files are scores of poems from decades ago. I doubt I have the courage to read them again, let alone post them. Especially after reading yours, which harks back to a time when being anti-war was not misconstrued as being unpatriotic. Hats off to you, my friend.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Charles
ReplyDeleteSzelsofa, thanks.
ReplyDeleteRon, thanks. You should probably post some of those poems. Poetry is so subjective. If they connect within yourself they probably connect to someone else as well.
Lisa, Thankee!
Charles-Wow. Didn't know ya had it in ya. Awesome.
ReplyDelete