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WAR GAMES

 

Photo by Michael Held on Unsplash

Premonitions plague me, persistently
Shaking, sweating, swearing I seek
To swill out the bad taste in my mind.
Why do I think: “There’s something
In the air?” Something that’s just not there,
Yet is. Some unknown unknown that haunts
My dreams and chases me through fields
Of, fire. Napalm I guess.: American fire
Jelly that flays the skin off children. Pares
Life down to dust. Agent Orange a herbicide,
A defoliant chemical with a tactical use 
To strip bare the edges of humanity. A naked
Girl running for her life, her skin a-flame. 
As if all life were a game, with no shame.... 

◄ BETRAYAL

The last Romans ►

Comments

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keith jeffries

Sat 26th Feb 2022 23:20

Occasionally I have dreams where I am taken into conflict situations which I experienced whilst a soldier in the past, although they are less frequent these days. When I wake I am depressed and irritable and make a determined effort to eradicate such memories. For some these memories have a more intense effect which leaves a mental scar that never heals (PTSD). Your poem brought this to mind. War is futile. Utterly incomprehensible.
Thank you for this
Keith

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