Tremulous Times: Outer and Inner

 

Tremulous_Times_-_Ruins_-_2016-06-03_1004

Tremulous times are ruinous times.

Tremulous Times

All is orderly in the war room, plans are all laid out:
Send Troop A to Region One, apply the bombs in Sector Two,
Take them out by storm and it’s all over but the shout;
Line them up, make them stand like trees along the avenue,
Place our guards four square in place, things will run right straight.
Follow orders everyone, all is orderly in our pleasant state.

But in the field the troops get lost, they do not see the salvos come.
Turmoil churns the turf, the war planes strafe the troops.
All is lost in a haze of noise, and clouds of shrapnel’s shouts,
And the surviving few are left to die.

So much for peace.
When the poorest and the least opportuned of folk
Have had enough and hate replaces hope
The worm infects the brain
Until it can take no more
and
the worm turns
And fireworks explode
Tempers no longer tempered
Do imprudent things
Thinking is as thinking does
And revenge
replaces
righteousness…

Thoughts become bombs and bombs create…death!
Destruction in the mind destroys clear thought…
We live in tremulous times

Meanwhile, back at home

And Donald writhes in pain and tortured mind,
The flashes in his head
Explode with excruciating pain.
He cannot speak
Nor stop his writhing brain.
He reaches out
And grabs nothing else but air.
He stumbles as he walks
And scrapes his shoulder
On the corner of the door.

And Dora shakes her head.
Come back to me, she pleads,
I need you still…
But you cannot hear my plea,
You cannot speak your voice.
Poor man you are stricken
Ill,
and I don’t know what
to do.

Tremulous times are these,
Tremulous times indeed.
War and peace—
Incompatible…

Something has to give

And all the while poor Dora
Prays for peace at home
And Donald,
Who never went to war,
Remembers
Everything…
And every thing is
Naught.

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The ruins of war, the ravages of disease.

PICTURE CREDITS: The ruins – “Piav ruins, explore riccard” – from Clip Art
The man – “Especias asiaticas contra la de…” Catalog:http://insertmedia.office.microsoft.com – from Clip Art

 

About admin

Judge at 6th Rabindrinath Tagore Awards - International - English Poetry Contest Author of Ann, A Tribute, and Chasing a Butterfly, A story of love and loss to Acceptance with the poetry of Alzheimer's and poetry for everybody. Appears in anthologies in Canada, US, India, Mexico and Bolivia. Poetry in Ekphrastic Review and NWriteers International Networeworld Review. Member of Federation of BC Wrters, Royal City Literary Society, and Holy Wow Poets Canada. Member Writers International Network: Distinguished Poet, Distinguished writer.
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