To Captain H. Verdun 1916

Daisies grow in pastures
Lush and green
In a peaceful country scene,
With an azure sky above,
All is quiet and serene,
Nearby trees
Rustle in the wind
And I hear a distant
Church bell ring,
In my mind's eye I see
My grandfather's face,
He fought at Verdun,
So this is the place
Where a million soldiers
Were wounded or died
In World War One's
Greatest fight,
I close my eyes and
Hear the canons' sound
And see a sea of blood
Covering the ground
With all hell's fury unbound,
While the wind
Rustles in the trees,
Crying out:
'Remember us, please.'
But now, all is quiet and serene
And I shudder at the thoughts
Of all my grandfather had seen.

Alfred Charasz
Copyright 2008 Alfred Charasz