The airman

Long lines of vapour split blue skies asunder Fly vengeful raptors, one thousand in number Headlong they go, to brave death or glory Stratosphere flight, part of war's brutal story Last year a schoolboy but this year an ace Did I see the twitch of fear on his face? Fly like a God, so untouchably high The monster of war, clawing youth from the sky A thin shaky finger feels the button of death A payload of sorrow leaves his care in a breath A rain of destruction whistling down out of tune As it plummets to earth snuffing life out too soon Mortality strikes with a roar just as thunder A maelstrom of steel slices metal from under His world now in turmoil, at the end of a gun Now a casualty, a victim, the fall of a son.