Fragment

there was little else to say now,

little to ask or to try for

the bullet bitten

the bottle drained

the fire closed

tears fell in choked rhythms

i saw the edges fade to a silent shade

and watched as men tried to fix the wound

stirred in the crunching gravel,

whirled in the smoke

and pondered on the silent marsh

roots stirred and foraged into the deep

trembling roots

splintered among the nuts of clay

and earthly stew

splintered one two three four ways

written in horror

blinded searing white by war

explosions and drowning screams

stone death silence stirring

against the burning roar

time eaten mad by the tank’s high turret

nations chewed and thrashed in fury

carcass broken and sliced

saw black horror

and pain rumble a monstrous tremor

in the roll of a tear

shrieks through the rings of time

earth crashing and laughing, crumbling beneath the feet

beneath faces turned, stricken, dead