Dark clouds march across blue skies
like battle lines drawn in damp cotton.
Below,
a quiet frenzy in other azure
as surgeons sort glass
shards from bleeding veins,
debride the dirt
from twitching muscle and
sew a soldier
together
again.
Someone had sadly forgotten to tell him
the war was winding down.
Joanna Suzanne Lee 
Ow, the very word ‘debride’ hurts.
“…to tell him the war was winding down.” Reminded me of protagonist Paul in all Quiet on the Western Front killed on last day of war.
Also: loved the poem, and the presentation. Thanks for it.
Very nice piece and love the pic!
WoW! So vivid, so sad.
to sew a soldier together again…that line really grabbed me…and then the soft sadness in theline that follows…very nice…
Very nice !
The sin is the war to begin with, and head held high, he allows himself to be sewn together. MY! A potent write that far from relies upon un reachable language, but rather delivers it’s cutting point with simplicity and power. Well wrote, poet!
Feel this one under my skin..
snap…surgeons sort glass shards from bleeding veins and sewing that soldier together again…wasn’t expecting such a poem with the peaceful clouds pic…great how you spun this with a last line that resonates and leaves room for thinking further
Short but great lines specially these:
“twitching muscle and
sew a soldier
together
again.”
Sharp as a scalpel. Brilliant write.
..who would think that below a peaceful clouds are scenes of chaotic clash… a barbaric world indeed… i like this.. for some reasons i felt familiar with your title though i can’t remember when actually i first read it…hmmmn..
I like how your soft words clash with the harsh words about war…effective.
Outstanding poem!
My first reaction to this piece was sadness. The second was anger, that while men still fight the innocent are permanently broken, like this poor soldier. There will always be such grief in this world and it breaks a mother’s heart…
Vivid pen to the chaos beneath the quiet clouds. Wonderful write ~ Rose
battle lines drawn in damp cotton – that’s wonderful.
Thanks, all, for your kind comments. I’m usually not one big on political statements but am very happy with this piece and the way it came out. For anyone curious, inspiration came from the following article: http://hamptonroads.com/achanceinhell.
Peace,
–jsl
I have been angry and have written poetry about these military arrogances for years now. A powerful piece – and if more comes to you, please write it. Your final lines sound nonchalant but say volumes about the waste of humanity…. for what? Thank you so much for writing from the heart. Amy
Poets United prompt: http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/three-images-of-women-poets-united-she/
In places like Kandahar there will probably always be a war going on, down on the ground or up in the blue skies … and how sad there are always the innocent to suffer from, the soldiers who supposedly went to fight fro their country …