anymore
3 July 1863
the heat of July in southern Pennsylvania
it’s hotter now
these days
but a hundred fifty years ago and more
then
inside uniforms bearing
supplies and heavy guns
and
two days fighting even
to serve on the winning side and then a final
charge
to determine victory
then the march on Harrisburg
to end the war
and
the cannons fired too soon if like the rebel yell
but
too early over the field
then following orders though the noise
had cleared
the damage done with time
to reassemble
the smoke gone and
regardless
came the charge
over a flat place with little cover
and
stopping wasn’t ordered
anyway
and the soldiers
with their leaders were
cur
down
Hood shot down and
only some made it
to the stone wall of the enemy
and
were killed
there
and Lee called up Pickett to sort his army
for more fighting
to which
Picket proclaims with anger in his blood
and grief for loss
to Lee that there was no army of his leading
anymore that
day
the charges lay on the field
free in the worst way
from
any earthly order
anymore
clc
photo by Johnny Kaufman on Unsplash
“Roadside Sunset”
Gettysburg, PA, USA
(x = space)
x
x
Hellish Season
x
It’s summer
And it’s hot
The sky too dense
With particulates
Of fires
And there’s
An irony of floods
And there is war too hot to fight
Yet fought
There
And in
We’ve heard
The war at home
x
Too much heat
It could seem
For sin
And yet not (yet) hot enough
To forestall
Our trying
x
And should
The hellish rise
In us
Around us
There might be balm
Valued
And adored
x
Christ
(of battle
of
the coming of the Lord)
Spirit
And angels
Come with mercy
Like cool liquid
On fevered heads
Once bodies
Have been taken
From the fray
x
And then the heat
Might break
A cooling rain
In fact
Begins and lasts
All the next day
Like the fourth day after
Three days
Of terrifying
Awesome
Blooded battle
All battles drawing blood
But this
Specifically at Gettysburg
x
Four days at Gettysburg
The fourth day for rain
To wash the field
To mist the ignominy
Either of retreat
Or too much victory
x
C L Couch
x
x
(after three days of accidental, built-up, pent-up, exhausting, murderous battle, starting on the first, the battle at Gettysburg was done and on the fourth day there was rain—ironic for the nation, being the Fourth of July, of course our independence day for the USA)
x
Photo by Henrique Sá on Unsplash
x
clcouch123 
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