Although I posted this poem just over a year ago, after reading the article linked to here, I felt it appropriate to post again. It suggests that the Civil War was much bloodier than originally thought.
Headstones at Antietam National Cemetery mark the graves of soldiers killed during the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland. (Credit: Corbis)
Here’s a link to the article: http://www.history.com/news/2011/06/06/civil-war-deadlier-than-previously-thought/
Blood
The blood smeared on that letter,
the blood smeared on my skin,
on the earth – I knew all of it.
Still do. I know how it becomes
lazy if it sits still too long,
seems to curdle thick
as cream. I’ve watched it puddle
near the broken skulls of men
who dipped their shoulders
and charged against the tide
of hell. It makes dirt
sticky as syrup, invites
the flies to sip its sugar –
but if you step in it, it gets angry,
splashes up, wraps its fingers
around your leg as if it wants
to pull you deep into itself.
Every drop – an abyss:
you can’t swim out of
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my site so i came
to return the favor.I’m attempting to find things to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
Sure.
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I’m English, not American, so I don’t know much about the civil war and stuff, but I really like your poems! I really want to be an author one day (I’m 12) so do you have any advice?
Just start writing and never stop. Slowly, you’ll get better and better. Remember, a writer always writes. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck!
Thank you! I do write pretty much 24/7, so no problem there! I’d love it if you’d like to look at my blog- it has all my stories on it. Gertrude Pickles xxx