Ghosts - The Lost 9th Roman Legion Poem by Paul Warren

Across the bare hills of the Highlands we went
The wind and the rain against the windscreen was spent
Just near Loch Lomond on a winding road on a bend
The engine of the car stopped and it seemed at its end

This happened just as the sun went down
And a signal on our phones could not be found
So we were stuck the night on the side of the Loch
We settled down in the car but sleep we did not

Early in the morning the wind and rain settled down
And in the distance we could hear the sound
Of voices raised clinching amour and swords
In the distance the sounds of battle and angry words

So we left the car and walked to a nearby Glen
When we saw a battle of Roman soldiers and Highland men
The Romans were losing as we hid and watched as they tried to defend
Until they were all surrounded and massacred at the battle's end

As the sun peeped on the horizon in the distance as a friend
The Highlanders disappeared as the sun's rays hit the glen
This left us both wondering at what we had seen in the night
An ancient battle had left its mark on the glen as it might

So we went back to the car and waited on a passing traveller
Who took us to the Drovers Inn whilst our car was with the repairer
And we learnt of the lost Roman 9th Legion who 1900 years ago
Marched into Caledonia and disappeared with no trace to show.a

© Paul Warren Poetry