Thursday, October 18, 2012

Armistice

Armistice

A grey cigarette haze lingered
above the bed like gun smoke
over a battlefield and we,
the casualties of war,
lay beneath. When we kissed
I tasted Bataan on her lips
and she said she could see
Manzanar in my eyes.
At times love is a negotiation
between desire and history.

The clock on the bedside table
flashed in dim red numbers
as the battery was nearly spent.
After the passion runs low
there are not many choices;
a long march in the Philippine sun,
a desert cage of spiral concertina wire
or a one last bloddy conflict that ends
with the squeeze of a trigger. 

SMG

21 comments:

screamin'ian said...

"or the final squeeze..."
felt that.

Anonymous said...

Astonishing - a striking read. The last line, powerful.

Anonymous said...

A war of internment. Very clever, and thought provoking write, I'm not sure about my American history, but I'm unsure whether relations between the Americans and the Japanese ever lay comfortably after WW2. Great as always x

dustus said...

Harrowing depth. Your references are perceptive, literally in sight and taste. Damn good

Brian Miller said...

whew...yeah when loves battlefield starts leaving casualities or taking hostages...it becomes a tough decision...

Corbie said...

The battlefield of love, truly a place of loss. Great word choice. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing!

Steve Isaak said...

Love this kind of writing, where history is EXPERIENCED - via your excellent wordsmithing - rather than talked about.

Great work.

signed...bkm said...

wonderful historic write Steven...I worked with ladies from the Phillipines...one said her father as a little boy saw his mother shot...they still have not forgotten...war always last much longer than the years outlined in history books....nice writing...bkm

Anonymous said...

Sweet, I get it now.

Marshy said...

great read, great write, great descriptions, and a great way of showing how poetry can be written... seriously good poem...pete

Unknown said...

Melodic and evocative. I particularly like: "At times love is a negotiation
between desire and history."

Claudia said...

you made something abstract personal..gave war a face and a taste..great write steven..loved the line whenlove is a negotiation
between desire and history..

Maude Lynn said...

This is really impressive. Just a fantastic piece.

kolembo said...

Fabulous. Absolutely. And very well written.

Reminds me of something I read by an Australian, thought I'd send it;

http://anotherlostshark.com/2011/02/15/yasi/

Beachanny said...

I was "in" it. You damn sure don't "tell". Maybe nothing is fair in love and war. Actually that seems to be what life has taught me. Who said we could have guns and butter anyway?

This is riveting and as everyone else has said your mastery of the language and the metaphor is sensational! (I think you knew that though, didn't you?) Really excellent piece! Gay

Violet N. said...

Strong beginning - it yanked me into the poem and I couldn't get away. I love this kind of extended metaphor.

http://vnesdolypoems.wordpress.com

Shashidhar Sharma said...

Its a great one shot. I liked you last line so much. Thanks for sharing...


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/03/whispers-memories-from-living.html
At Twitter @VerseEveryDay

Warcommander said...

Very powerful as well. I see how love can be so powerful and strong

Iremonger Lindsay JacoBus Quinlan Pickens said...

sad.

Unknown said...

frightful and tense.

Anonymous said...

powerful account.