ALL IS DEAD 1916

A WW1 OFFICER COMES HOME ON LEAVE FROM THE FRONT IN 1916.

Captain George Elmore
watches the trees and fields
pass by as the car
moves up the drive
to his parent's house
and his home,
sky blue,
birds in flight,
the driver is silent
and he is glad,
no noise,
no talk,
nothing but silence.

In his mind
part of him is still
at the Front,
sights seen,
sounds of guns,
rifles,
bombs,
men's screams
and moans,
echoing in his ears,
sights of dead
and legs and arms
and waste and heads
and eyes.

All is dead all dies,
he murmurs,
watching the house
come into view,
the windows,
the roof,
the doors.

A servant girl walks by,
head down thought held,
not Polly,
he muses,
not her,
he feels tears well
in his eyes,
all is dead all dies,
he murmurs soft.

The driver pulls up
outside the front doors
and there is a moment
as if time has stopped,
as if he is stuck,
cannot move.

Dudson's head
is staring at him
from the side of the trench,
no body,
just the head,
eye open,
one gone.

The driver opens the car door
and stands gazing in,
Captain Elmore,
home Sir,
he says softly.

The door of the house opens
and his mother walks down
towards the car,
followed by the butler
and a servant girl.

His mother stands
at the car door and stares in,
George, are you all right?
She says unsure why
he sits so still,
his eyes looking
but unmoving,
watery as if washed
and undried.

The butler stands behind
the mother,
gazes in
hands by his sides,
the servant girl stands
behind him,
looking by his side.

George you are home now,
his mother says.

George stirs,
eyes move about him,
not focusing,
he moves and steps out
of the car and stares
at the sky,
all are dead,
he murmurs,
men die.