Front Line

Welcome to World's End

Front Line

 

Night-time has fallen over the dug out

Passages of Earth and watery soil

Above crying can be heard, an odd shout

As Bullets strike and men hit with recoil.

 

Writing my sonnet by candlelight for

Loves that are blitzed across the border

Words of promise and propaganda lore

Before being made to stand to order.

 

My song is sung for a different place

Away from the distorted and twisted smile

Of the cruel frontline’s ugly leering face

Stretching for over many a mile

 

Dead and crippled bodies are carried to be

Flung in a shallow pit too small for the masses

Made more difficult because we could only just see

by candle light, and Firebombs' noisy thunder flashes

 

As Corporals call out to both undistinguishable Yanks

And us limeys, and everyone else, we all politely chatter

Clamouring up into the mouths of monstrous tanks

Laughing uneasily watching the enemy dart and scatter

 

We pretend not to retch as we cross the surface a-strewn

With bodies of both us and them, crushed and bloody limbs

Visible by the pale light of an ashamed, horrified full moon

Shivering over screams as a wounded Irish soldier sings:’

 

‘We'll sing a song, a soldier's song, 
With cheering rousing chorus,
As round our blazing fires we throng, 
The starry heavens o'er us...’

 

To fight knowing your hearts and your souls are

The same as the innocent misled young German lad

Crouching near you, amongst the mud and the stench, not far,

Innocent as everyone in that proximity, makes one sad

 

I hate you, Hitler, for corrupting mind and changing the fate

Of young and unsuspecting blind lambs to the slaughter

Only for after death, for you to then reincarnate,

Into more fascists with your sociopathic laughter

 

But here I am at world’s end to warn

You of the manipulators the future will see

Have the courage to face the endless storm

Keep human spirit alive

                   and never let it cease to be.

Author's Note

Another war poem, this one more recent, hoorah!
I guess the reason I write about war and things because, as someone who's family is pretty much touched by war all the time, being part Iraqi and having grandparents who were in the service, I feel I have to understand it. I doubt I ever will.

Reviews

[Sarah]

I loved reading this poem, the imagery was fantastic (I think you captured the dark, gruesome aspects of war quite realistically) & your use of enjambment (sp?) made all your lines flow very well. I love how the poem is so fast-paced, making it sound as though you really were delivering an urgent warning to the future. Very well written, good job! ^_^

[Gema]

Aww this remind me of the film atonment which made me cry!
It so relistic very well written!
Well done x

[JohnL]

I hated this poem - as I hate all poems about war and the horrors thereof. To me reading it was a forced discipline and there was no enjoyment whatsoever. But poems like this must be written; Poems like this must be read. It is the reaction of ordinary, decent people to war and carnage. It makes me feel that some (not all) of my work is lightweight. We need both. Poetry to enjoy and poetry to fill us with dread. The imagery in this poem was amazing, and I feel (though I have never experienced battle) very realistic. Having led us through the horror, you paint the picture of the universal soldier - the young German boy. Is he personally an enemy? Of course not!

Here is the power of this piece:

'I hate you, Hitler, for corrupting mind and changing the fate
Of young and unsuspecting blind lambs to the slaughter'
and
'But here I am at world's end to warn
You of the manipulators the future will see'

The wording of these two segments is brilliant.

I feel it would be petty to offer too much criticism of technique. The power of this is in the message, however - suffice it to say that the metre and scansion get more awry as the work progresses and in future works, you need to bear this in mind - but don't dare to alter a word of this one.

John

[Blue Sky]

We all try to wrap our minds around the rudeless actions/
in hopes so high...

'We'll sing a song, a soldier's song,
With cheering rousing chorus,
As round our blazing fires we throng,
The starry heavens o'er us...'



wrote a great piece, hope it sheds a bit of light on the topic itself, take care!!

[Snowman Mike]

Very intelligently delivered and the imagery (though horrifying in parts!) sets the scene better than any newspaper or history book ever has. A crisp and philosophical point placed neatly between the eyes.

This is good. I liked the words to the song. That was great! I think the flow was great! The structure worked. Very good write!