We were still waiting
Yellow ribbons fluttering
on a light sea-breeze.
You should have been home
Instead you were shards of war
In Basrah Palace
©Alison Jean Hankinson
Paul Scribbles asked us to write about “the end” for d’verse. I will write one too, but I also wanted to submit this one.
I wrote this last year. I was fortunate in that Dave returned safely on my birthday 2003. He was one of many Lancaster and Cumbria Volunteers (TA) that were sent into Iraq (Basrah Palace) with Queens Lancashire Regiment in 2003 on a compulsory call-out- the British public were generally unaware that this happened. I couldn’t see how he could survive, there were attacks, riots insurrection, IED’s, he was recovering vehicles from dangerous places. I used to pray he wouldn’t die alone. He survived but his colleague Captain Dai Jones wasn’t so lucky. The girls were four, and he missed their first day of school, but at least he came home even though at times he was definitely shards of war. We had an old fashioned lamp-post in our garden and we tied a yellow ribbon round it to demonstrate we wanted him to come home. We still have the ribbon somewhere.
Image of tree from wikimedia
by Ildar Sagdejev
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I can’t imagine that feeling. The poem gives me a hint but I’m glad that is all. Powerful stuff.
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Another very nice poem for this prompt.
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What a keepsake that ribbon must be. ‘Shards of war’ is such a raw description for the feelings surrounding the experience.
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Brought a lump to my throat… pleased for you!
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Poignant and thought-provoking. How casually we send young people to war. How casually we wage war, but then it has ever been thus. We humans are slow learners.
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In such times home coming is only what matters. Nicely put.
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So glad he got home safely, Alison.
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“Shards of war” – you’ve given me goose pimples. I’m so glad this was not an end for you, but that you had a new beginning.
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I especially like your metaphor “shards of war.” What an apt way to describe the horror that lingers when soldiers come home.
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Shards of war – mesmerizing beauty!
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