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11 Moments of War
A poem, a poet’s note and a poetry prompt
blood pooling on the broken pavement
the whine of a bullet off a roof
brown and grey camouflage lost in the desert
a night scope full of shadows
flag at half-mast again
a letter unanswered
a helicopter whisking up a soup of sand and dust
meaningless salutes
the politician flying in full of smiles
the latest photo of a toddler not cuddled since birth
the longest day, the one before
shipping out for home
Poet’s note: This poem was written in response to an artwork (the photo of which I have since lost). This kind of poem is called ekphrasis, and I’ve written quite a few over the years. Sometimes when I go to an art gallery, I will either take photos of artworks that stir me in some way or buy postcards. I have a collection now that I can use any time for poem ideas.
Poetry prompt: It’s not always necessary to write a poem that holds together like a…
