My M24 and Me

My M24 and Me

 

They say Mosul

As if they know her

 

No one knows Mosul

She will not let them

 

Another coffee

Before the head count

 

Then fill those bloody

Body bags accordingly

 

Head shots are fine

For teaching children

 

How to shoot

On sunny days

 

Might that be a lark

On the horizon

 

Sundays now mean

Absolutely nothing

 

Not going home again

For certain maybe

 

Tomorrow’s just

Another numbered day   

 

 

 

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

damn! somber and deadly serious ... doesn't matter which side it may or may not be .. the perspective of cold, hard and void come to mind as i shoulder that rig .... sheesh!!!!!!!! this is the second very serious poem in a row that i read ... wonder if its in the air or something :{ hope all is well with you sir
E.

[Neville]

all is well Gene.. cheers me old mate :)

[Eilis]

Very powerful work, Neville. All the lovely poems you have on your page and I chose this one to talk to, I know. But something about the title called me in and then.

There’s often the impulse to look at the aftermath of an accident. The morbid curiosity. Or perhaps the grateful heart trying to unpuzzle (or come to grips with) its own fate. But those glimpses and long looks change us. If we’re not careful we forget the essentials of being human. Some people make it seem so easy.

But writing like this provides the necessary shock to draw us back to the roots of our souls. The thing we all have that can only be identified by the empty space it leaves when it is removed from the world.

Moving poetry. Glad to have a moment to read a little of your work.

[Neville]

You are far too kind my friend, thank you though for the lovely well reasoned response you have left me.. You have been greatly missed, am glad you are back..... Neville

[Coyote Poetry]

Once I helped bag the Iraqi dead. Just bodies after the gun is done, name, don't matter. Your words worldly and true. Each day, the children learn. Must fight to live. A hard view to behold. Always a pleasure to read your work my friend.
Coyote

[Neville]

Thank you Coyote for the visit, for the understanding, for the direction and for the way you show us to walk.... Neville

[Coyote Poetry]

A worthwhile poem and you are welcome my friend.

[Neville]

cheers Coyote

[emmajoy]

So many people bury their heads in the sand when not personally touched by bombs and bullets and all else starting with B. We live in a time that is as evil and tragic as ever has been. Fake news farely damns it however, in truth you can't make worse or mock was is Hell on Earth, can you! You joke, you juggle, you dance the steps, but when it comes to Truth's validity, you beat the drum, loudly, clearly.

Mosul and its like should teach us how.. but.. nothing can actually sort it.. too much as been tried.. and tried.. and..

[Neville]

my word, I am not sure whether I have just been told off.. whether to thank you, or go into hiding.. I will say thanks, just to be on the safe side... Neville

[emmajoy]

I'd have thought you know my feelings about war and the planet's condition by now, Neville!

'You joke, you juggle, you dance the steps, but when it comes to Truth's validity, you beat the drum, loudly, clearly.' Thought those words would tell you how much i admired your wordsI

[Neville]

thank you emmajoy

[Cherrie Palmer]

Foreshadowing for Sundays death toll, an awful reminder of the human condition.

[Neville]

Bless you Cherrie.. sometimes its best to keep ya head down for a while..... Neville

[R.E. Ray]

Cynicism is an armor we put on when we find nothing else protects us from the worst of humanity. I see here what I’ve felt domestically in my profession, and it’s a cold truth about us. We are the earth’s most dangerous predators and the greatest protectors.

[Neville]

thank you kindly for visiting these words my friend.. tis much appreciated... Neville

[barleygirl]

WOW! If I didn't know, I would think you are terminally JADED! This is a sobering sarcastic way to show a "warring" mindset -- I can never understand this, also expressed as the mighty military of my own country (we are all obligated to be grateful or be shunned). The way you juxtapose this on Easter weekend seems to have a sinister plot *heh! heh! heh!* Fondly, Margie

[Neville]

Bless ya Margie.. wink wink... :)

[gram linski]

Told very matter of fact, just is, with a sense of fatalistic certainty, love the contrast of the lark and the head shots

[Neville]

thank you.. a much appreciated visit and welcome comment.. N

[kentuck14]

"Not going home again" . . . what a forlorn phrase . . . deafening as a mortar blast, a round of automatic rifle fire . . . a cry for help! " "Sundays now mean absolutely nothing." a damn sad line . . . what war and violence can do to the human heart and mind! The whole meaning of our days reduced to body counts (like in Vietnam). When will the human desire to destroy in the name of ideology ever end?! Maybe "tomorrow" might be the day it ends . . . and not because we came to our senses!
Tom

[Neville]

absolutely.. I guess you realised somewhere along the line this was not a love poem... Cheers Tom... N

[kentuck14]

was it that obvious??!!

[Neville]

............. yeah :)

[kentuck14]

I'll try to be more subtle next time . . . as you Brits like to say . . . cheers.

[Neville]

thank you ever so muchly and then some :)

[Chris Shaw]

This could be about so many other places in the. Middle East, not just Mosul. Sniper fire and bombs kill so many. The carnage is horrendous and no one wins in warfare. Everyone loses. This is a dark and stark reminder of what is going on while we carry on with our lives over here, paying little attention nowadays to what seems to have dragged on forever. Thank you for reminding us Neville how difficult some peoples lives are. Body bags and more body bags. Will it ever end?

Chris

[Neville]

thank you our Chris.. sadly, no.. I dont think there will ever be an end to it... man is far too greedy and selfish.... N

[DIVYA]

I have followed Mosul closely in the recent past. You have captured this profound tragedy so well with your words here, N.

[Neville]

yes, tis awful .. thank you my friend
Neville

[DIVYA]

You’re welcome, N.