Soldiers
He stands
at attention by the gate,
dwarved
by his Batman backpack,
armed
with a tupperwear box full
of the
day’s rations – sandwiches
cut
into little shapes and cucumber
wrapped
in foil. His uniform
is
shiny-new; in regulation
Velcro
shoes and a navy blue
jumper, his eyes soar with adventure.
‘Stay strong’ I tell myself
as ‘goodbye’ tumbles out
like a
pilot with a failed parachute.
I’m a
control tower
engulfed
by smoke;
the
empty shell
of a
burnt-out tank.
My
smile is a shield
held
together with Sellotape.
‘I love
you mum’, he says,
as he
marches for the front.
I dry
my eyes, salute, head home,
and wait.
Try writing poems that adopt different perspectives. Start by creating a timeline of significant events in your life. In the light of the poem above, pick an event and write about that very event from someone else's perspective. What effect does this have on the creative process? What is it like putting yourself in 'someone else's shoes'?
