This week I have broken with my rule of using the war poets and have for a change used a poem written about the The First World War, what is more it was written this week.
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The poem is hard to read, hard hitting, cruel and it cuts like a knife. The death depicted here is not the stuff of “Jonny Hero” dying bravely stiff upper lip and jovial words for his friends, his pals. No here in is the mud, guts, defecation,urine , blood, bone and tears. The gut wrenching agony of death from gas. The young man lying with his guts/ bowels hanging out or a leg or arm blown off.
Soldiers rotting from the feet up smelling of death, sweat, urine and cheap whores praying they will survive and get home to family and hearth ..hoping to get rid of the lice, fleas and what ever extra little gifts they may of picked up on their last 24hr leave.
Yes the poem below says all that and much more and in much fewer words. maggiemaeijustsaythis I thank you for this truly beautiful War Poem. I am not sure if beautiful is the correct word for this work of art.
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The Charge
Hard back pages, stained with
time and aged aroma.

photo credits http://flickrhivemind.net aroma.
1915. A battle is painted.
Acid slashing,spitting.
Direct eyes leap from a tiny cliff
onto young bodies. Bloodied. Abandoned.
Somewhere, some mothers stand as sharp
as shrapnel,
bullets piercing their wombs,
their children’s supple homes.

photo credits http://www.devianthearts.com/
Trembling hands
find a gun
and a buddy. A soldier. A boy.
Death has no time in
these fields. He is hurried.
Frontal attacks sweep
unprotected spots. Blurring instinct.
Blinding the Earth with a scarlet bath.
Burying dirt with
young boys, men.
1915. Hard back pages, stained with
memory and
the scent of suffering.
And this….
just the beginning.
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maggiemaeijustsaythis wrote the poem above after reading an article for the news papers Mons later publish in a book of short stories . written by W Douglas Newton. I can find no information on W Douglas Newton himself apart from the fact that he was a prolific writer who wrote fiction and fact about war. His books and articles painted a truer picture than any of the propaganda released at the time. maggiemaeijustsaythis called her poem The Charge
maggiemaeijustsaythis says this about herself .

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Poetry Challenge #7 is to create a journal of links and your reactions to poems by established (living or dead poets.) Details are here. Example response is here. Mr. Linky for Challenge #7 is directly below: