No fire, we are too close
Night on the high Veldt
Under the stars
Cold comfort of a second-hand blanket
Stained with the left over sweat
~
On my back
I play a game of star pictures
Joining up the diamond dots
A horses head, near perfect
But God never finished the job
~
Did I close my eyes?
A kick on my thigh tells me so
Van Kleeck turns his head
Spits a stream of tobacco juice
Through broken teeth
~
The last Stagg
Just an hour till move out
The A47 is old
A hand me down relic
Though her voice still speaks
~
The blush of dawn in the east
A Chestnut Wattle-eye welcomes the day
I wait till the orange rim rises
A gift of ten minutes oblivion
To the blanket bundles
~
Memories fade
She turns from a broken dream
Restless arms claim possession
And in the English morning
I hear the bark of the three legged dog
8
8
Stagg is army slang for a period of guard duty,
usually a two hour stint.