1918 Revisited

The Shirt Was Ill-Fitting And Soiled
The Trousers Loose And Tucked Well Down Into My Boots
Perhaps I Should Have Dug Deeper Into The Pile
Reserves From The Last One Still There. Watching We Didn't Take Two

Then Rotten Cocoa Hidden In Both Cheeks
It All Smelt Worse When It Was Removed

In The Breast Pocket Was A Letter Dated
To The Summer The First One Was To End As He Felt It,
His Own Words, Through Whispers From The Ranks
Having Them Telling Their Wives Of Returns
And He Was Right. It Was About To End

Then Lower The Patch Work Of Some Girl's Nimbleless Fingers
With An Un-Washed Stain Around It In A Circle
The Shirt Was Even Darker On The Back Side In His Exit

At Least He Had Faced It
His Fixings Sent Home But The Shirt Could Be Stitched
It Would Have Been Not Use To Her
So They Kept It As If They Knew It Would Happen Again
The Same Sweat, Tears And All That
Again For That Same Bit Of Occupied Soil

Here I Am Ready For More Than His Shirt To Stain Me

CK