From Savannah - Tybee Island - Sept. 2008

From Savannah - Tybee Island - Sept. 2008

unreal children

Blinded, the soldier
did not bend to read
the braille, machine gunned
in soft bones.

Nor did he feel or hear
a blood wet wind
blow the jungle red
and curse his human soul.

In cold calm, he dreamt
of a white jeweled continent,
where real children
danced on blonde cement.

And did not fall,
and did not melt,
like little yellow pools
in dark rice beds.

Judith Soucek Ritter 1970
for veteran's day, from the works of Judith Ritter
A New Cold