Down To The Hollow

Down To The Hollow

A Poem by Devons

Blood, blood, vainglorious blood
Russet-rivered tracks in molasses of mud
Follow me, follow
down to the hollow
and wallow.
Inglorious blood.
Carcasses, carts, lost tins and innards
Bully-beef guts of squashed caterpillars
Urine-dried khaki and trench-foot stench
Rain-soaked sweat in a gangrene clench
More slugs than snails or puppy-dog tails
And the gloom of a thousand grey Mondays.
Never once taught in a decade of Sundays
In a church-load of sermons and sunny fete fun-days
Of marching Christian goodness, brass bands side-by-side
Soldiers of children played war-games and died
No pride denied for the village green military
And their clockwork performance for the boys'-toys artillery.
Though you may shield your eyes and remember those sighs
As the shells cracked Hoorahs! to the cheers and the cries
It's the glimpse of a sun-ray through mustard-smoked skies
It's the tragedy of loss, of innocence to lies
The rotting-cabbage smell of the flesh and the flies
Where no one is winning and anyone dies.
You're a coward, you're a killer
You're a saviour, you're a death
A knee-jerk reaction and a wasted breath
You can pray for salvation to your God in His heaven
But in one day you'll ruin what He did in seven.

© 2015 Devons


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Well, I'm wondering what I should say that Augustus already hasn't! I do not usually indulge in praising without giving reasons.
But I have to say that this is simply the best poem I've read on the Cafe so far.
I've recommended it to as many friends as I could.
And I just can't stop reading it. There are so many emotions, so many images conveyed with such an awesome sense of rhythm, it is just mind boggling!
100/100 , if you ask me.

Posted 14 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.




Reviews

Another example of what you do so well. You've such a good ear for the rhythm that I couldn't resist reading it out loud - and I appreciated it even more. Ta.

Posted 14 Years Ago


This is powerful ! These words fit this image perfectly... as if we can hear the man's thoughts setting their in the mud and decay.
What a wonderful last verse that sums it all up:

You're a coward, you're a killer
You're a saviour, you're a death
A knee-jerk reaction and a wasted breath
You can pray for salvation to your God in His heaven
But in one day you'll ruin what He did in seven.

Very powerful poem, Devons.

Chloe



Posted 14 Years Ago


Thats why you are my new hero. That was really, really good. No use in pointing out what it is about, or the strengths and the weaknesses...this one fired on all eight my brotha. Damn, I coulda swore I wrote this....you been peaking in my diary haven't you. that last line is a doozy....excellent work.

Posted 14 Years Ago


wow.. this is gut-wrenching.. the sing-songyness of it lulls you into a sense of false calm, but when the words seep into your brain wrinkles BAM!! they hit with air-strike precision.

the genius of this is? it reminded me, in its rhythm, of songs we'd sing at summer camp. that part is what chilled me. sort of a play between the glorious adages of war, the tales we tell our children to get them to grow up to be soldiers, and the horrifying truth of what man does to another..

this is an "epic" poem, both in the scope, and in the reality.

just excellent..

Posted 14 Years Ago



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1833 Views
34 Reviews
Rating
Shelved in 6 Libraries
Added on June 18, 2010
Last Updated on May 26, 2015
Tags: first world war, great war, war

Author

Devons
Devons

South West, United Kingdom



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