Silent in Their Silver Sleepless Chambers Military Parade as Palaces

Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem

Their castles in a row wait underground.

When men sign up, they thought that they were kings

And heroes.  Then a thwanging rifle found

Their guts.  That ammo laughed at dreamed up wings

On boys Vermont had given it for fun

And now they rot in caskets underneath

Heroic marble, row on row, each one

A part of rank on rank as well.  Beneath

White crosses rest the wingless ones who wait

For feathers to begin to grow and spread.

Spring buds above know well the feel of fate

For later they will fall upon these dead.

  These blooms in thousands lack no patience, time

    Or blankness.  They align with nations’ crime.

© Phillip Whidden