Poetry

AFP photo

By

Lynn White

Grenfell – Graveyard of Dreams

The blackened carcass

remains,

still

standing

where all else has fallen.

A jagged tower, 

the bare bones 

of dreams

standing 

still.

Still as the dreams

that were lost,

stopped in their tracks.

Standing

still

the graveyard of the lost,

the lost 

dreams and dreamers.

Tourists

Get the brochure, take a trip

to visit the green fields 

of France or Belgium.

And you can stay close or take 

an optional excursion.

It’s your choice.

Well, there’s money to be made. 

And you’ll be moved to marvel 

at the spectacle of it all

stretched out before you.

The bright green fields over fed 

with mashed body parts and blood 

sucked out by vampires’ fangs.

Look, see the white teeth crossed

in their rows upon rows

and stand proud with respect.

Snap, snap,

click, click.

Take a few pics

to join to join those of 

last year’s beaches, cathedrals 

and other art installations.                                                                                

Immortalised,

lest you forget.

Respect them in their death                                                                                                                                                                                         

the ones who died                                                                                             

for whatever the country.

Respect them in death,

The yes sir, no sirs

of war and of peace.

The ones with no choices.

Remember them.

And remember the vampires.

They’re living still,

as vampires will.

Sucking the blood,

stirring the pot

and making the money.

Lynn White

Lynn White lives in north Wales. Her work is influenced by issues of social justice and events, places and people she has known or imagined. She is especially interested in exploring the boundaries of dream, fantasy and reality. Her poem ‘A Rose For Gaza’ was shortlisted for the Theatre Cloud ‘War Poetry for Today’ competition 2014. This and many other poems have been widely published, in recent anthologies such as – ‘Alice In Wonderland’ by Silver Birch Press, ‘The Border Crossed Us’ from Vagabond Press and ‘Selfhood’ from Trancendence Zero – and journals such as Apogee, Firewords Quarterly, Indie Soleil, Midnight Circus and Snapdragon as well as many other online and print publications.

Find Lynn at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynn-White-Poetry/1603675983213077?fref=ts and lynnwhitepoetry.blogspot.com