Thoughts of a Rich Man in the Trenches of WW1

The first world war changed the world in more ways that most of us realise. Before the war the divide between the classes was far worse than it is today.

Thoughts of a Rich Man in the Trenches of WW1

Shots flew off over my head

They told us we needed to go over the top

The ones I knew to be poor were brave, braver than me.

I have never had to fight a single day in my life and look at these men.

They don't have anything except bravery and good morals.

But just like me they have families at home.

These men that I am fighting with

some are dead, others are dying.

We can't bring money here,

for here we are equals.

I cant believe that it has took this bout of mess to realise that.

Bullets and blood

barbed wire and mud

body's piled on top of one another

Horses lying with their hooves up in the air

Fear, there is no fear,

It has gone passed that.

It is amazing how clear

the world is when one makes peace with death.

I pray, we all do and leave

wedding rings and letters to loved ones with daggers in the trench walls.

Clutching their bayonets.

A man sits writing poetry,

his hand shakes,

he's is covered in blood.

I don't know who he is.

I don't even know who the blood belongs to.

If in the unlikely event that I should get out of this alive,

I will change my attitude towards the poor, that is for sure.

The passing thought of 'I should have been an officer'

Keeps going through my head

I might have been able to save the bullets from doing the same thing.

After the war. I hope things will be different.

Author's Note

Thank you for taking the time to read my poem.

Reviews

[matrixmark]

WOW WOW WOW.

I am not really a reader of peotry but this felt more a like reading a short story and the images which you pushed through into my mind were nothing short of brillian.t I really liked this piece - it was different, vivid and had me gripped.

Mark.