Tattered faceless silhouettes
Staggered across no-man’s land,
Fumbling to attach bayonets,
Unkind weapons in shaky hands.
Wisps of men blundered in thick of gas
Back to the comfort of a mud-filled trench,
Eyeless heroes in useless masks
Smothering in the toxic stench.
One innocent soldier wandering wide,
Heading for trenches on the other side,
Felt the tentative touch of a decent hand
Guide him through the horror of no-man’s land.
© Kim M. Russell, 2016
Image found on www.independent.co.uk
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night # 182
Tonight, Open Link Night is hosted by Gayle from Bodhirose’s Blog. She’s been telling us that the U.S. is well into autumn now: temperatures are beginning to drop, the trees are bursting into their autumn colours and it’s also a popular time for many festivals and art shows.
Over here in the UK, most schools have celebrated Harvest Festival by now and children are eagerly awaiting Halloween and then 5th November, Guy Fawkes Night. On 11th November it is Remembrance Day, when I shall be travelling into Norwich to see myself on the big screen, reading poems inspired by a workshop on ‘acts of kindness in war’, one of which I have shared tonight.
writing in north norfolk 
The ‘the tentative touch of a decent hand’ is so beautiful here.
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I couldn’t find the picture I chose from a pile of photographs we were given at the workshop. But you could see one of the soldiers stretching out his hand. The whole workshop was about acts of kindness in war, which was really hard to get our heads around at first. We were in what used to be an old shoe shop that is now a shop/cafe/meeting place run by kindness warriors and called The Missing Shoe – a lovely place to get together with like-minded people. It was a small group of women – no men, except for a member of the Writers’ Centre Norwich, who didn’t really take part and wasn’t there for one of the sessions. I really like the idea of kindness warriors. 🙂
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There are so many stories like that out there and the photograph you were given at the workshop inspired a beautiful poem. The Missing Shoe sounds like a lovely place :o)
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War is a difficult topic and your poem is very stirring. I too like the Missing Shoe.
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November 11th – we call it Veterans’ Day.
War is hell and I detest the euphemisms used to “soften” its reality: “casualties” — there is nothing casual about deaths by war.
A stirring poem. Thank you for posting.
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Thanks for reading, Lillian.
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Deeply touching to me. I’ve read stories of such kindnesses being extended across the battlefield. In war, we need to realize that real people, with real loved ones live on each side of the line.
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I love these sections:
“Eyeless heroes in useless masks”
“One innocent soldier wandering wide,
Heading for trenches on the other side,
Felt the tentative touch of a decent hand”
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Thank you for reading and commenting.
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Brace. Beautiful. Epic. 🌹
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Such a touching poem. My husband’s uncle did 4 tours in Afghanistan. He often spoke of such kindnesses. Nothing is casual about the casualties of war and your piem so gut wrenchingly states this.
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Than you, Toni.
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I can’t imagine the horror and stench from the toxic gases ~ I am specially touched by the comforting hand at the end Kim ~ Make me believe that goodness and kindness can be found even in the worst of circumstances ~
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My great grandfather was in WW1 and the Boer War, and he lived until I was four years old. I’m amazed at some of the stories I heard about him.
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I know that there are many kindnesses going out there all over the world between decent people. I just wish we heard more of these stories rather than the negative ones that are always in the news. Your poem and your writing about your group made me remember a posting that I did several years ago called “The Christmas Truce”…I think you may be interested, Kim, if you haven’t heard about it already. I’ll leave you the link. Thanks for sharing your wonderful poem. https://bodhirose.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/the-christmas-truce/
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Thank you for the link, Gayle.
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Felt the tentative touch of a decent hand
Guide him through the horror of no-man’s land…. humanity not lost in the horrors of war. Nicely done.
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Thank you 😊
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The kindness that we find in unexpected places is the one we really remember. How exciting to be part of a reading…
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I’d like to do more filming or animation – used to teach Media Studies so I have a little knowledge 😉
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It’s inspiring to remember that good can still be done even in horrible situations.
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Oh yes! Being kind doesn’t take much. It only takes a touch or a smile to be kind.
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Not one to romanticize battles, but you worked such beauty into these lines, Kim!
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Thanks Walt!
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This kindness was all the more beautiful because it shows love for an “enemy”, who is turns out is just another lost human being.
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Lynn.
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Felt the tentative touch of a decent hand
Guide him through the horror of no-man’s land.
Hand of Providence is always there if one only asks for it!
Hank
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So true, Hank.
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Really takes me there. And I was just saying to a new friend how contradictory it is for me to be such an utter pacifist and still somehow simultaneously harbor great respect for all who have fought to make it possible for me to be a pacifist…
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That was one of the interesting things about the ‘acts of kindness in war’ wokshop. We learned a lot from what we read, saw and discussed.
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Brilliant, in theme and tone. Really a landmark piece of work that I hink is very important.
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Thank you so much!
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I love those final two lines–kindness in the midst of horror.
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It was amazing to learn of all the different kindnesses shown in WW1. Most were simple gestures that were so appreciated.
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Reblogged this on writing in north norfolk and commented:
Reblogged for National Kindness Day
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🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
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🙂
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