with your enemies
by all means
but
keep blades sharpened
and
sleep with one eye
open
making peace
reinforces
the illusion
man is superior
to the beast
in the field
'ha ha ha'
laughed
the kookaburra
pffffffft
snorted the ox
' grrrrr '
growled the leopard
forever trying to erase
her spots
wanting to be
a tigress
Charge! '
said the general
'still one minute
to go
you slack yellow
blighters '
2,738 dead
10,944 casualties
in just 5 hours
henry gunther
missed out on life
by a minute
last man killed
on the western front
bad luck
old chap
ding dong bell
it's 11 o'clock
morning tea
Hurrah!
The War Is Over
jolly good show
monty old chap
life will seem
a little dull
reminiscing
with chums
back at the club
after this
haw haw
clink of teacups
and champagne glasses
haw haw
no one brings tea
to Gunther
a bloody heap
lying
face down in the mud
he did not die
laughing
frig...really well done...i love the turn to the animal world, it is a bit fanciful, makes a point and steps us up well for you zoom back in on the harsh reality of it...def make peace, be ready to defend it, just don't be senseless in it..
ReplyDeleteThe animal world is disdainful and laughs at us because we are supposed to be the superior species.
DeletePowerful poem. Horrible what happened. (That whole war horrendous - like most - but this one seemed just well beyond senseless -and not to have solved much.)
ReplyDeleteYour use of the animals is very powerful too. Thanks for this offering. k.
PS _ I read that Gunther was a German American who felt very conflicted about the war to begin with. Also, one general seems to have ordered a bunch of African-American troops into the front the last morning.
ReplyDeleteThe last German (reported) killed shortly after the armistice. k.
Thanks Karin.
ReplyDeleteI need to break up horror a bit. Too much and I'll
be slumped over the computer in a heap:)
The use of animals to describe how futile we truly are as the so-called superior species, is brilliant. War is futile and no-one wins but the arms dealers and you have written this so well as seen through someone's eyes who has a little sanity. The old officers in World War 1 saw their men as so expendable, it didn't seem to matter how many of them were slaughtered at all. Instead of evolving as a species, we seem to be devolving. Maybe we are. The only thing that will force us to change our violent ways would be a huge global catastrophe which would bring about utter chaos but, maybe the few left would finally unite with one cause. Who knows.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant poem, enjoyed it very much.
Thank you Daydreamertoo.I am pleased you think me a little sane
ReplyDeleteToo sane might be a bit scary:)
Humans are such complex creatures..... A combination of wonder and horror.
No one will ever understand them. Not even two smart extraterrestials like you and me:)
ugh..the closure had me unexpected as you were already painting a war end picture and i started to relax...war is terrible...the leopard
ReplyDeleteforever trying to erase
her spots
wanting to be
a tigress...what a great metaphor
Love this. The cynicism, tinged with sadness and regret, is so apt for such a singular folly: war.
ReplyDeleteQuirky and unexpected. I like.
ReplyDeleteThis is very sharp, I was especially struck by:
ReplyDeletelife will seem
a little dull
reminiscing
with chums
back at the club
There's something dire and twisted in this idea that war shows us what it is to be alive and everything else pales in comparison and 'reality'. I think this is how some become adrenaline junkies in the midst of it, craving the exposure to the highwire between life and death. Wonderful response to the prompt.
Very strong writing--not just the content, but the entire vibe gives a clear voice to the madness of war. "Still one minute to go." What twisted logic can justify such a thing as this? Excellent work.
ReplyDelete