the shore.

remember the feelings remember the day...

stories of that forsaken land

of trees that were taller than all us men

of marines, dying along the blood caked shore.

believing, that as we went, we could do some more.

we were fools.

fools.

 

the beaching was a disaster,

ships ran aground.

cold pacific water,

lapped around freshly shined boots.

heaviness of weapons,

almost as heavy as that on our minds

our souls

our hearts.

 

who could forget the holocaust,

the tortured bodies of naked Jews.

stripped of clothes,

barren of possessions.

ribcages like that of captive birds.

stretched skin,

faces of agony.

 

the shots began,

they rang out,

as shells littered the blood-caked shore.

Nazis fought long and hard,

machine gun chatter strafing the sandy beach

along with their bullets.

rifle discharges, pullin up plumes of sand.

 

Poor old John,

sitting there one minute, the next, a whistling hole,

neat, like the ones from our schoolboy days.

punched into the paper,

punched into skin.

shells

bullets,

fire.

 

our boats left, a cosmic farce,

we retreated, our hearts as defeated as our bodies.

sorry sights, we were, and until now,

after the war, we won.

but our hearts, our souls, and our minds,

are as heavy as that day.

upon that blood-soaked shore.

Reviews

[Michael of Gilead]

Very good write, i could see it being long too...however the progression of events doesn't fit the historical time line (perhaps that was intentional?)
and, they were no fools

[Adelia Alighieri]

The flow is very intellectual, something a reader really grasps. Great work!

[Ruth]

Excellent work love!
A saddening read, remembering a situation that we cannot even comprehend! Well, most of us lol
Truly great poem!
xx

[ScarlettTheDreamer]

Aw this is such a powerful write, such raw emotions, such intense feelings! Love it.