A photo of the St Julien Memorial, Belgium

Of course Armistice Day is not just about conflicts of the past, but those still happening. This website, iCasualties.org provides almost real time updates of every casualty suffered by the Coalition forces in Afghanistan. It makes sobering reading, especially when you add the estimated 14,000 to 34,000 civilian deaths to that toll.

A Soldier’s Winter

What is this cold?
Where is this white
Is this real, or just a fleeting moment of life, of my life

I see no longer the greens and reds,
Where have the autumn leaves gone?
This must be the first signs of a new winter?

I see trees, I see sky, I see clouds,
All winter white,
Can I reach upward to touch the falling flake?
I try but never seem to connect,

And as I lay there staring at the sky
is my body cold ?
As I lay I hope I am not forgotten
But here I am alone.
I close my eyes and try to think of home
is this really happening to me?

This isn’t real this is only a dream
I never have felt this way before, cold, weak and exposed,
but strangely at ease
With a tear I draw my parting breath
I’m looking down on my body below

I understand now this is winter….this is my winter

Chris, a soldier serving in Afghanistan

Poem found on www.warpoetry.co.uk