Poets Against War continues the tradition of socially engaged poetry by creating venues for poetry as a voice against war, tyranny and oppression.

GERALDINE GREEN

53 years old

Published poet and university lecturer. I’ve performed in the UK, Italy, Greece and America. Currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing (Poetry) at Lancaster University, I run writing workshops as a freelance, working alongside musicians, artists and photographers.

IN THE POCKET OF THE WOUNDED SOLDIER

– ‘The forgotten woman is the solider who was crucified’
(Miltos Sachtouris)

In the pocket of the wounded soldier lay a handful of leaves.
In the pocket of the wounded soldier grew an ear full of corn
an ear full of dust an ear full of the first blue morning glory.
When the wounded soldier put his hand in his pocket and found god, he died.
His eyes were blue as morning glory
his hands as red as the good red earth
his eyelashes were stamens of clematis flowers
seen on the wall in the backyard of his lover, the moon
a pool of blood turned silver
the sun rose in the afternoon.
On the day the wounded soldier's eyes closed he sang a song
tulips danced, tambourines played like a fountain of wheat
the hare raised its paw and saluted
even the cat paused in the matter of washing her ears and listened.
The song on the soldier's lips blossomed like a cuckoo feather
his feet danced a soldier's dance known only to roots
grown deep in battlefields, his hips swayed like a water lily
in his cupped palms a bee landed, a swallow settled, a dragonfly darted
back again to take a closer look at his skin.

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