Guernica

Inspired by Robert Capa's photo ....

The moment of death personified in an oft remembered pose

His body lifted … right off his toes

The bullet stopped the picture… stopped his life

An unnamed man … with children and a wife

Reprinted ‘cross the world a thousandfold

No more to sense the spring … or flowers hold

Futility unbounded …. life snuffed out

But still we waste more lives .. with war’s obscene rout

 

Phil Sanders

Reviews

[Sally Edwards]

Wow Phil, very powerful short poem, dramatic and yes it moved me so much I shed salty tears, your words gripped at my very soul

The bullet stopped the picture� stopped his life
An unnamed man � with children and a wife

they are so poignant like the photo,

[Nicholas Hallows]

I think the adjective 'powerful' has been used in almost all of the other reviews. I'm going to use it again. Great write. NH

[Brianna Brie]

The sarcastic humor in this poem makes it. The way you take a serious subject and lighten it without lessoning the message is just great writing.

[Candle in the wind]

Futility unbounded �. life snuffed out.....this is so powerfully and poignantly depicted in your poem Brilliant!

[April Child]

Sigh.... "Futility unbounded" these words sum it up for me, the futility of war. Poignant writing.

[JayaMae]

Fascinating... as death can be.

[An Ordinary Woman]

Powerful, especially with the photo. I haven't saw it before but yes it does tell a story and you captured that story beautifully indeed. I can't imaging taking a photograph at that exact moment, I wonder was it talent or luck? Amazing ...

[Ani Ashford]

Powerful words and a powerful mental picture. It expresses so much of what I feel about war/s and how humans create them; the absolute waste of life and resources is horrific. Thanks Phil.

[Brenda Sue]

Very powerful imagery. Wonderfully penned. Great job.

[R J Askew]

Amazing how that iconic photo still tells a powerful story. I wonder how the guy would feel to see his image immortalised at the moment of his death. And he has a rifle in his hand himself of course. The Spanish war seemed a dress rehersal for the real game a few years on. And as you say it still goes on and on. How many will go the same way today and tomorrow? Such a manly thing though war, killing. I wonder how the guy who fired the shot would feel to see his trigger work immortalised. It's fascinating to see you move away from your main theme again into this harsher subject.