Universal Bayonet

crowded poppy field cover the trenches red crowns hide bone meal and sculls abundance disfigures the pain and yet Field Marshall and Tambourine Major demand endless encores as if another take would enhance the applause while puppets on war strings scatter engraved on tombstones and grief devastated and soulless march on and paint the white flag with blood because innocence is not for the fainthearted honour and glory will grant you a medal for posterity to cherish instead of your smile the markets will take stock and wrap human remains in balance sheets for you are merely a number on ledgers and history’s accounts a fallen hero on somebody else’s sword 25th March 2021