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A Day At The Beach

Training. 

Remember your training!

When the bow ramp drops, charge!

Pull the bolt back, forward, & aim

Pull the trigger, make your enemy quiver!

 

Stop shaking! 

It's just a day at the beach!

There's vomit on me uniform. Is it mine?

Might be Bill's next to me. He's seasick 

Pull the bolt back, forward, & aim

Pull the trigger, make your enemy quiver!

 

Mam's birthday! June 6th. How could I forget! 

I should've wrote before we left.

I'll be gettin’ wrong when I get back!

Why didn't you write, so I knew you were alright?

 

Vomit. Vomit.  

Aw, it's me. Sorry Bill

It's OK lad, we're all wearing our breakfast!

Sea’s getting choppy. Must be close…

Pull the bolt back, forward, & aim

Pull the trigger, make your enemy quiver!

 

Prepare yourselves lads!

Aye, Sarge!

Just a day at the beach! Happy Birthday, Mam. Training. Training 

Pull the bolt back, forward, & aim

Pull the trigger, make your enemy quiver!

 

Shaking. Stop shaking!

Just stay beside me lad.

OK Bill.

The bow ramp's halfway down

Training!

Pull the er…thingy back, forward, & aim

Pull the trigger, make your enemy quiver!

 

Out! Out! Out!

Aye, Sarge! 

The water’s bloody freezin’! What's that noise?

Ratataatatatatatat…

Come on lad! OK Bill. Happy birthday, Mam. Just a day at the- Oh, god!

Training! Remember training!

Pull the trigger, aim, bolt forward….

Ratatatatatatatatat…

Bill! You've got blood on your face!

Bill! Oh, Jesus! Oh, god!

Pull the quiver, let them trigger.. Aim

            Men & boys lying lame

Where's me rifle? Sarge, I've lost…

Ratatatatatatatataatatatat…

Mam! Mam! I mean Sarge! I've lost-

           I'm lost! I'm lost!

I've made it to the beach! I'm on the bea-

 

It's gone quiet. 

I can taste the sand. Why's it red?

Turning red

           Almost dead. Almost dead

Something about training, I think…

Pull the bolt…Bill, Where's Bill?

Mams Birthday! Happy Birthday, Mam!

Wonder if she made a cake?

 

Aw, aye, she has!

 

 

🌷(8)

Remembrancelest we forget

◄ Remember Me

Unseen ►

Comments

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Stephen Atkinson

Wed 13th Nov 2024 22:38

Thanks Uilleam, I took it as a compliment. 🤗 And thank you, master war poet, Stephen G!

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Stephen Gospage

Wed 13th Nov 2024 17:00

Well done, Stephen. This poem really affects you, as Uilleam says.

Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Wed 13th Nov 2024 09:59

I did mean that as a complement Stephen!

Like many of us, I've shed tears over the news of various tragedies, and I don't take kindly to being lectured at by attention-seeking pompous pricks of politicians / celebrities about my not being "silent" and "respectful" enough.

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Stephen Atkinson

Tue 12th Nov 2024 22:23

Sorry about that, Uilleam! I'll do a happy one next time!
And thanks for the likes everyone 🌷

Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Tue 12th Nov 2024 08:29

It's barely eight-thirty am, and I've got tears in my eyes.

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