Memories In a War

Machine guns spit fire on an urban slum, 
and voices cry out in an unknown tongue.
Grenade launch – 
“Take cover!”
“Get down!”
As blind as a bat, this Baghdad night.
A child’s scream, from the blackness,
 gnaws at my ear, 
and a table was set –
 four candles on a birthday cake –
 a camera freezes the moment.
“Wake up soldier!”
“This is what we were made for!”
“Don’t you go to sleep on us now!”
Machine guns spit fire on an urban slum, 
and darkness disguises the hostiles, 
and a child screams again, 
and again ….
 And again! 
Chocolate paints her pink cheek brown.
“In coming!”
Baghdad bright with fireflies.
“Let’s bring the heat to these camel jockeys!”
The merry-go-round spins my head in a daze ….
So beautiful, her eyes like her grandmother’s gaze.
“Wake up soldier!”
“Stay focus son”
I wake up to see Baghdad ablaze.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2010

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Horsman Avatar
July 9, 2010 at 6:25 AM
congratuations on your win, with this awesome poem, excellent read Harry
Brown Avatar
July 8, 2010 at 7:07 AM
Congratulations Earle on your win in Frank Herrera's contest "Images". Love, Carol
George   Avatar
July 8, 2010 at 1:57 AM
Incrediblly vivid images you have created in this very emotional heart-wrenching free verse. Congratulations on your win, Earle. Lainie
Dietrich Avatar
July 7, 2010 at 10:53 AM
Very powerful writing and a well deserved win. LUv, Andrea
 Avatar
July 7, 2010 at 9:32 AM
The vivid imagery works well to paint the scene. Congratulations on your second place finish in the Images contest. Enjoy your big honor. Wishing you many more. Karen
Sweetheart Avatar
July 7, 2010 at 5:24 AM
Congrats Earle on your winning poem in the Images contest with this awesome write .. enjoy.. with luv from the "Sweetheart" in Hawaii on vacation.. AlohA...
Brown Avatar
July 6, 2010 at 4:02 PM
Thank you for sharing your poetry with us here at PoetrySoup Earle. I hope you plan on being here and writing for years to come. It was a pleasure to read your poetry today. Wishing you the best always. Love, Carol
Semeniuk Avatar
July 6, 2010 at 2:17 PM
great poem with such vivid visions!..
K. Avatar
July 6, 2010 at 9:45 AM
Wow this is such a visual poem Earle, and so alive with emotions too-- I can't help but just be there (although not wanting to in a way) --you've really captured the moment really well--interspersing between those two scenes-- a sad but very moving write-- I hope it helps though-- you have a typo in your title for "Memories" and your second to the last line, maybe it would be better to write "focus" in the past tense? hope this helps :) -- nikko :)
Fone Avatar
July 6, 2010 at 6:47 AM
Earle, I am in awe of this amazingly graphic scene!!......this is not just a poem, the imagery puts the reader in the thick of it!!!, an emotional piece of writing, many thanks for your comments on "sunflower" and others, it means so much, best wishes, June
Horsman Avatar
July 6, 2010 at 6:28 AM
excellent poem, so sad, only a few create conflict around the world, yet millions suffer. its poems like this that will be read by our future generations, and rightly so!
A   Avatar
July 6, 2010 at 6:03 AM
Hard memories Earle, sad not a place i would like to experiance, enjoyed your poem, have a nice one,..p..d
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