Skull in a Landscape
Inspired by a painting by Edward Burra
A group of young men,
different sizes, different ages.
Giddy at the idea of a gun,
scared of the opposition holding one.
They march in unison,
talk of how important they are,
joke at what they’re going to do.
Maybe show a photo of who they miss most.
They look strong, confident, savvy.
But look closer,
their features are gone,
they don’t smile, they don’t frown,
they don’t look like ‘them’ anymore.
When they put on that uniform they turn,
lose their flesh, their identity.
Bones shake under their clothes,
skulls rattle under their helmets,
some not even whole, no eyes
blind to what’s happening.
An army of skeletons.
Rachael Andrews graduated from the University of Chichester after completing an English and Creative Writing degree. She is currently a teaching assistant at two schools to prepare for starting her PGCE in September.