Again And Again.

You were one 

of the fortunate ones: 

you survived battlefields, 

saw the death 

of others around you, 

bullets missing you by inches, 

exploding shells 

missing you 

by a small movement. 

Your mind carries images 

it cannot forget, 

sights seen splashed 

into the memory 

that recur in nightmares, 

over and over. 

The sound and sights 

of war have ended; 

politicians sign papers 

and declare war at an end, 

but in your mind 

the sights and sounds remain, 

and in your day to day 

haunt you again and again.

Reviews

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

This was haunting and reminded me of my uncle who served during the war in Vietnam. He would often tell me stories of his time in service. At times having a lingering look that would appear mid sentence as if he went back for the briefest of seconds. His words were often visceral and came from a place of dark emptiness. I think your poem captures why that is. Thank you for sharing your poem with us. CLE

[Terry Collett]

Thank you for reading and your comments