the dust
This is about one of the camps I was based in when I was in the military. When it is hot, a dust cloud hangs in the air, and we tie bandannas over our noses, and when it rains the mud sticks to our boots like glue. A godforsaken place, no doubt.
image by dsnake1 generated on PS3
the dust
the dust,
it's always the dust,
red and sticky,
a sickly shade
of coagulated
blood
colouring our hair,
our fatigues,
whenever a convoy
of supply trucks
or armoured carriers
rolls into camp
and we
smoking in the mess halls
watch the new recruits
dismount
eyes wide, bewildered,
clutching their duffel bags
wondering
if they had landed
on Mars.
08/07/2013
**********
another poem dusted out from the innards of my computer.
"A place, like a person, has character too."
-- dsnake1, About Places.
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2015
the dust
the dust,
it's always the dust,
red and sticky,
a sickly shade
of coagulated
blood
colouring our hair,
our fatigues,
whenever a convoy
of supply trucks
or armoured carriers
rolls into camp
and we
smoking in the mess halls
watch the new recruits
dismount
eyes wide, bewildered,
clutching their duffel bags
wondering
if they had landed
on Mars.
08/07/2013
**********
another poem dusted out from the innards of my computer.
"A place, like a person, has character too."
-- dsnake1, About Places.
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2015
posted by dsnake1 at 8:06 PM
15 Comments:
Quite evocative really. I find myself choking a bit...from that dust.
You didn't link the poem over at Poets United. Hope you do.
Thank you, Mary.
I have just linked the poem at Poets United.
i have patchy internet time recently, having to go off to do other stuff. hoping things settle down soon. :)
What a descriptive poem taking us to this place...the desolation is strong and it seems little lives there.
thank you, Donna.
indeed it is. a large clearing in some jungle, and except for us guys and some wild dogs and snakes, nothing much lives there. :)
When the alien becomes familiar..the dust has truly settled...sadly..
Loved this! Excellent write :D
war is all about 'red' even the dust...
Indeed, evocative. It reminded of a scene in a book I'd read recently. I can't quite remember the title of the book, but the desert, and the dust.. yes, the poem took me back to that!
Leo @ I Rhyme Without Reason
Yup! This one made me smile all through it. Excellent writing, as usual.
ZQ
I feel for those new recruits, not knowing what is ahead of them. You convey the heat, the dust, so well here.
That duct gets into everything. Covers everything, clogs everything. You can tell the newbies cause they are still semi-clean. It doesnt take long though. They too will be a martian. Ha.
this one brought a smile on my space especially the ending - the humor is there despite of the situation. newcomers are always energetic and curious
Jae Rose,
thanks for visiting!
yes, after a while, people will adapt. :)
Sanaa Rizvi,
thanks for the visit and your comment. :)
Sumana,
war is about red, but what i was writing about was during peacetime. :)
Leo,
thank you! i like your haiku too, glad to see you are taking part in the monthly shiki kukai. :)
about the book, is it "Dune" by Frank Herbert? but the poem does remind me about a movie on some australian troops in vietnam. :)
ZQ,
friend, were you one of the recruits? :D
Sherry,
thank you! those guys, when they set foot into the camp, they look totally lost. :)
X,
haha! the martians have landed. :)
totomai,
true, they are always more energetic than us old-timers. :)
The desert gets everywhere they say. Sand where it should never be. Great poem.
thanks, G L!
i think this is where our planet is heading if we are not careful. :(
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