Hi Anthony, Your poem Shadowmen is tight and full of imagery and maintains that lump in the throat for me that must have been a permanent sensation for those inhabiting last ditch homes on 'The rim of hell' brilliant finishing words those, long silence after I think for most readers....... and rightly so. Win x

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

No man should have to go to war the way they went in the first world war - cannon fodder, with poor leadership and total disregard for life - they didn't even have a choice about being there. At least weapons of mass destruction have given us that....

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

In the first poem these lines worked really well ...

"Our sergeant paced, checked his watch for lies,

and ignored the muffled sobs disguised as coughs

- his whistle hanging heavy as a prayer."

The second poem evokes unbearable sadness at the loss of young lives; lives hardly lived. And past notions of cowardice and the penalties imposed as a result, were so wrong.

And yet, and yet, sometimes (maybe most of the time) if peace is to be built on sure foundations, then nations have to go to war. It has always been so; always will be.

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Not sure I didn't like it better without the edit!! LOL

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Sorry I mean Christine - can't be bothered deleting and retyping.

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

It's funny Cynthia but I wondered about whether it should be never or ever and decided that Anthony had probably decided to go for never. The implication being that often young (and older) men can be unmoved by a woman's distress - not a million miles from the truth LOL but at least Anthony acknowledges it - good on you Anthony - unless of course Cynthia is right and it was an oversight.

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Always love your work Anthony, even though I don't always comment, and these two are certainly worthy of comment.
Could I just make a couple of small suggestions?
- in 'Lost Boys' v1 - perhaps 'no woman's tears had ever made him cry'?
- and v2 - I don't think it needs 'but every day' in the first line ..... it dilutes the power of men dying with razor screams.
Excellent stuff.
Cx

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

I love these poems too.
Imagery, style, emotions aplenty.

Nice.x

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Oh Anthony - such powerful writing, you made me want to cry. Move over Wilfred Owen. Beautiful, totally original imagery - as Cynthia says, heart-rending. I'm glad you posted the two poems together; the flow of one to the other works and reinforces the message. I'm also glad you are posting again.
Isobel x

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson

Are these powerful lines just swelling out of you now with the events of this past week? Or have you been hovering over them for awhile, spinning them in your head? Very heart-rending images skillfully shared.

Comment is about Two war poems (edited!) (blog)

Original item by Anthony Emmerson