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Landmines

I wonder if those who lay the mines down

Stay put and wait for victims to approach,

Or, with a surreptitious grin, retreat.

As for the victims, no imagining

The horror of their plight will bring them back.

The miner and mined have done their duty.

In moral terms, they seem so far apart:

One bad, one innocent. But consider.

They are both under orders not to think:

Playthings, creations of puppet masters.

Their actions, predetermined, are foretold.

Bad is not evil, innocence not good.

In war, who notices? All play a role;

Each slouching around, hoping it will end.

warUkraine

◄ Jubilee

Splendid Youth ►

Comments

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Stephen Gospage

Sun 3rd Jul 2022 20:47

Thank you, Mahira. That is much appreciated.

Mahira Pamnani

Sun 3rd Jul 2022 12:48

I love this poem🤍🤍

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Stephen Gospage

Thu 9th Jun 2022 21:32

Thank you very much , Keith. I completely agree about banning such mines.

And thanks to Rudyard, Rose and Kevin for liking.

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keith jeffries

Thu 9th Jun 2022 11:50

A poem which provokes thought but in the last line the reader is confronted with reality. I recall a scene many years ago of a German journalist in Iraq who stood on a land mine. It was a graphic scene as the viewer saw his foot being blown off. Anti personnel mines should be outlawed. A good poem, topical, as many lives are lost by these infernal things.
Thank you for this
Keith

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Stephen Gospage

Wed 8th Jun 2022 17:28

Thank you, John. Your comment is greatly appreciated. Putting war into perspective is, of course, easy from a comfortable distance. But we cannot give up on our fellow man, I think.

Thanks to Nigel, John C, Stephen, Julie, K Lynn, Bethany, Carol, Holden and Frederick for liking this poem.

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John Botterill

Wed 8th Jun 2022 14:06

A grim reflection of reality Stephen. Excellent poem!

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