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Love Letters In the Sand

by Tony Whitaker

Staring from behind the black-ironed branches
he waits in darkness staring in solitude.
His hands feel curiously cold,
though not from winter’s wind,
but from flashes of his life
mind-lit under a moonless sky.

The procession of vehicles approach with its precious cargo of men,
who defend the weak from certain death as done by those before.
Smiling, slow to stroll to the crossroads,
waving at those smooth shaven faces,
sons of mothers from a world away
staring from behind misted glass.

Time stops as the sudden sound and fury slash the sullen scene.
Men and machine blend in the blast from the bomb strapped boy
(by cowards promising an afterlife of infinite peace and pleasures),
now mixing with the pink and pearl remains
of the quickly crusting dust of the desert.

10/31/2009

Author's Note: Tell me where is sanity...I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do; so I leave it up to you... Ten Years After

Posted on 10/31/2009
Copyright © 2024 Tony Whitaker

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by Glenn Currier on 10/31/09 at 02:41 PM

Thank you, Tony, for this poignant poem. I feel real sad fof these brave young men who themselves must fight the insanity daily. But also for the young people misled by religious zealots who seem to have lost contact with their humanity. Your poem is powerful in its peaceful lead-in followed by its tragic climax - reflecting the incident you describe. You tricked me with the title just as our troops are tricked into death and injury in those distant sands. Thanks again for this sober, well written and powerful poem, Tony.

Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 10/31/09 at 06:53 PM

This seems to me an excellent treatment of such a gruesome scene. It does posit the question of where IS the sanity in it all...the answer, I fear is that it is nothing more than INsanity. Thanks.

Posted by Peggie Eng on 10/31/09 at 08:10 PM

You are so talented, you paint pictures with your word no matter what you are writing about.. Thank you..

Posted by Joe Cramer on 11/01/09 at 03:54 AM

... "tell me where is sanity" ... indeed.... this is wonderful.....

Posted by JD Clay on 11/08/09 at 02:49 PM

You’ve outdone yourself with this refined poem, Tony. There is a another poem between every line just waiting to be written. The title fit perfectly too.

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