2018 was one hundred years since the end of World War I. Hard to believe because the conflict is still very much in the global psyche.
I wrote a 100 word poem as my way of remembering those who gave their lives for King and country. And here it is.
***
You stand in the remembrance field, careful not to step in the dust of crushed bones bleached clean, or churn the bloodied poppies beneath your feet. You wander into no man’s land, soul-shocked, and you wonder who closed the eyes of the dead.
And there they are – the graves of the fearless and fallen, white-cold against a mustard sky. Thousands. Resting.
You have come here to meet your grandfather’s ghost; your heart is like an unyielding vine that shoots back to him. You write a thank you note, but can’t find the right words. All that remains is to remember.