Re: Collateral Gift For Mother's Day. -- Unicorn

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Date Posted: 14:53:24 04/12/03 Sat
Author: Raphaela
Author Host/IP: webcacheB01a.cache.pol.co.uk / 195.92.168.163
Subject: Re: Collateral Gift For Mother's Day.
In reply to: Pegasus 's message, "Collateral Gift For Mother's Day." on 11:53:21 03/31/03 Mon

I think the message of this poem was particularly poignant, given the 'friendly fire' fatalities that occurred over that weekend.

Good to see your writing again Pegasus, there has been a change in style for you.

R

>Collateral Gift For Mother's Day.
>
>Resting stiff,
>on six shoulders rigid,
>they come home as surprise,
>to celebrate Mother's day;
>carried, step by step,
>they return,
>bit by ironic bit,
>the lost sons, at last,
>at least
>that's what they say.
>
>White hankies once waved them outbound,
>beneath banners,
>bravely flogged by winds,
>they sang their marches,
>loudest sound,
>to cover their burden of fears,
>ever since.
>
>Echoes of their requiems,
>now stilled,
>make ghastly silence mirthlessly draped
>around the killed
>and yesterday's white banners
>now wipe a mother's eye,
>a running nose or -
>are bitten to muffle a mourning cry.
>
>Patriotic pennants now hide their face,
>or what's left of it,
>in most cases,
>army's worst present as mother's gift,
>a mutilated child,
>for which she once lived.
>
>Not her's came home,
>but slaughtered meat in a box,
>put there by friendly fire,
>or another cultivated hoax,
>is this useless violence on tactical retreat,
>or just the collateral damage
>of diplomacy's defeat?
>
>Boxed "Jolt and Veneration"
>upon a special day
>while mother's empty hands cradle flowers
>forced to pray,
>doomed to bury themselves
>beneath their tokens of love,
>makes wishing for a mother's day miracle,
>unbearably rough.
>
>I only see mothers enlist
>to fight the rest of their lives
>so far,
>it merely makes me wonder
>who really
>is the MIA or POW...

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