I attempted a new form of poetry; one I wasn’t even aware existed. This time I attempt a Pantoum prompt. In honour of Invasion Day, I decided to tackle this new challenge with a meaningful theme.
The pantoum is a form created by Malaysian poets, but originally, they were spoken poems dating from before the fifteenth century.
I hope you enjoy the following pantoum, written from personal experiences from 2003, during the Iraqi Invasion.
Invasion Day
We watch Tank battles in the night.
Zing, Tink, Boom, shots ricochet armored plating.
The Bombs in the distance illuminate the skies,
Blast-warmth rushes our faces, sublime and surreal.
Zing, Tink, Boom, shots both ricochet and pierce armored plating,
As we sing "Bombs over Baghdad," - Lyrics from rap music.
Blast-warmth rushes our faces, reminding us it's real.
We hold our weapons at the steady, drop-ramp ready.
Within hours day breaks through, the assault continues.
Ramps drop down to sand, Marines rush out.
Close-quarter battles rage, guns blazing-roaring!
The savage man against his kind, until there is no more.
Ramps drop down to sand, Marines rush out for blood,
taking building after building, they never stood a chance,
the savage man against his kind, the never-ending wars.
First to fight for right and freedom, we keep our honor clean!
We soon rush North, to an outpost with civilians,
where a large group of people, pillage for food.
One woman in a black abaya, conceals what's underneath her cloth.
"Hands up or die," I vociferate, warm rifle muzzle pointed!
A large group of people, pillaging for food - they're starved.
I hear a whining noise from her cloth, a cry?
"Hands up or die" I yell, intensely fearing for our lives.
She slowly pulls from underneath, a baby from inside!
The feint noise I heard, really was a cry,
the blasts in the distance rumble all around,
because I let her live, she holds out her kid.
I watched Tank battles just last night.
“Pantoum definition: a poem of any length, written in quatrains, in which the second and fourth lines of one stanza are repeated as the first and third, respectively, in the next stanza.” (Source: https://writers.com/how-to-write-a-pantoum-poem)
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