There’s no shortage of war artists
I’d prefer to have a shirt
That isn’t frayed or discoloured
Where I sweat. I sweat a lot
Drugs (amphetamines)
The problem
With using bleach on stains
It does away with the stitching
And there’s the dilemma. You
Need to plan for a replacement
Sooner rather than later. I like
The futurists, surrealists. Kirchner
And the expressionists. But none
Of them are combat specialists
In my childhood I’ll play with soldiers
Endlessly. But I won’t be born for ages
The shirts belonged to my Grandad
Not the one who fought. The other
I’ll inherit them
Gran had kept them
God love her
Sometimes I sound foolish. Poisoned
In the trenches, Paul Nash
Is cold but most spectacular. Grosz
And Dix, the Germans. Goya takes
Some beating. Those atrocities
Did he see them or imagine?
If I had to own one
I’d want Uccello’s
The Battle of San Romano
.
Steven Taylor
.
.