I wrote this poem in 2008, shotly after surviving a rocket attack in Baghdad.
I wrote this poem in 2008, shotly after surviving a rocket attack in Baghdad.
by Patrick Howse20 Mar 2016
I saw it coming.
First the wave it made along the surface
I saw it running
Along the water of the Loch
Scattering shining shards of light
Across the length of the water.
Then I heard it whispering.
In the waving branches
I heard it murmuring
In the pine trees that stood
Close by the side of the path
Casting their dark blue shadows.
Then I felt it coming.
But still it hadn’t reached me,
I felt it, shivering,
Holding my breath in anticipation
Of the cold blast
That I couldn’t escape.
In my face the icy passing.
A slap-like blow
In an instant leaving,
Leaping on down the valley
As my breath escaped
And the sun shone.