February 6, 2026Poem
There is nothing
naturecitypoliticstimeloveidentity
There is nothing
As stupid
As human
As brave as
Living with fear.
As foolish as
Honour bound
As complex
As misunderstanding
Feelings
Heart-driven.
He was a volunteer
Why?
Leaving protected employment
For the front line
Why not?
He was not alone
The time of his life
Remodelled expectations,
Fractured his response
To the mundane.
He screamed
In his sleep
So did I
Nothing makes sense
After dark
Punch drunk
Blowhards
Fight for pennies
On street corners
Where do they go
To be free?
He crouched in a wardrobe
Pissed on his shoes.
This town has no soul
Boarded up
Instead of falling down
They have painted
Pretend doors
On roofless houses
Homes for the ghosted
Abandoned legions
Waiting to die
Drained and bloodless
Marching blindly
Into their graves
Slapped in the face
For taking the shilling