Risking Life Limb Flesh Enlisted Poem by Terence George Craddock

immortalize break of dawn
picking a poppy over the parapet
in a muddy bloody trench
in shellshock shivering dawn
in stagnation slaughter houses
etched into death stained earth
meat grinder chewing up souls
harvesting youth limbs shredded

in a waste Great War trench
images echoing through time
to be surrealist first few lines
immortalizing break of dawn
picking a poppy over the parapet
risking life limb flesh enlisted

in fable folds of paper wrapped
birth born in a Great War trench
bloody battles waste echoing time
so many wars so many nations hated
sown thrown lies nationalistic deeds
to serve sacred blood line emperor king
to serve emperor king prime minister president
hard to know which war to pin propaganda lies on

pin the tail on donkey lies tails
country date fades into history
as new war replaces stale war
carousel carnage slaughter house killing
clown rhetoric speeches for ghoul soldiers
when can their skull sacrifice glory fade

with first gut shot belly
with first blown off limb
left shredded flesh agony bleeding out dying...


Terence George Craddock (Afterglows Echoes Of Starlight)
Copyright © Terence George Craddock.