Poem: The Trenches

The Trenches

This is where life is fought,
not on the parade ground with colors bright
and creases pin-sharp
create oohs and ahs from the spectators,
lined to watch the show,

Not in the battlefield
where bravery is expected
and reactions, not our minds
rule the day,

but here, in the dark holes
of the trenches,
where, helpless, our walls
protect us, and we hunker down,

preparing in silence
for that moment
where we charge,
or flee. 

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The picture was taken at the Army Heritage Center, in Carlyse, PA, where they have, among other things, a recreation of World War One trenches. This was the headquarters of this section of trenches. You can click on it for a larger version.

Tom