FLASH IN THE PAN, Some images never fade . . . Options

[Thoth]

. . .

In wartime, lights in the night usually signify something bad is about to happen – somewhere!

Breaking the stillness; a bump in the night!
Is that the start of an Eighty-one’s flight?
Payload of chaos to no one knows where
till H.E. and shrapnel light up the air.

Bursting in splendour, bright star in the sky,
Icarus riding a thousand foot high.
Just for a minute she dazzles the eyes
then swinging in circles, gradually dies.

Lazy green fire-flies, starting out slow
floating through darkness – all in a row.
Lazy green fire-flies rapidly change
to green killer-hornets streaking up-range.

Flickers of lightning! (A storm's overdue?)
Katyusha's big daughter, the one-twenty-two
shrieks overhead like a flaming banshee;
the zone near her grounding you’d rather not be.

Lurking in shadow, as patient as Jobe,
mine waits a victim to press on its probe,
renting the soul with a blast out of hell;
a few have survived their story to tell.

Of battle aurora commanding the night,
nothing’s as heinous as one out of sight.
Tiny hot flash of a rifle well aimed
could modestly signal “Your life has been claimed!”



Notes:
“Eighty-one” – 81mm NATO calibre Medium mortar. The Russian version had an 82mm bore.
“Icarus” – Hand launched parachute flare, also known as “thousand foot flare”.
“Katyusha” – Russian nickname of the older 82mm artillery rocket also known as “Stalin’s Organ” .
It was superseded by the powerful 122mm projectile with a range of up to 30 km.
Other references are to; machine gun tracer fire, mines and booby-traps.

Reason for edit: added IBPC winner image

[Larry]

Hi Wally,

Been there and done that (well maybe the calibers were different). It brings to mind a fire-fight going on while off in the distance, "Puff" (nickname for C-130 with 6 pilot controlled mini-guns) went for a walk through the jungle on six green legs which sounded like a million irate hornets. Sweet music to a company or platoon pinned down by enemy fire. I try to not think about those things or times even though all the memories weren't that bad (just a few of them!).

War is always hell and one keeps in the forefront of their mind your summation. There is one out there with your name on it!

Didn't see any crit marks and you wouldn't get any from me because your description is spot on!


Larry