Poppies

• Armistice Sunday


  Implies her son is dead
• Before you left


  Implies her son has died in war
• Seelotape bandaged around my hand

  Contrast conflict zone with domestic sphere showing that war isn’t constrained to the front line
• Steeled the softening of my face


  Having to be brave
• I wanted to graze my nose across the tip of your nose, play at eskimos like we did when you were little


  Intimate and endearing language, war effects everyone ripple effect
• All my words flattered, rolled, turned into felt


  Unable to put into words
• The world overflowing like a treasure chest


  Showing youthfull excitement
• A split second and you were away, intoxicated


  Lost to soon
• A single dove, flew from its cage


  Peace, love, innocence and freedom
• My stomach busy making tucks, darts, pleats

  Fighting her emotions, internal war with her emotions
• I traced the inscriptions


  Shows the large scale
• Wishbone


  Fragile, other half been pulled apart, his death broke her
• Hoping to hear your playground voice caching on the wind.

  His death was final, longing for her child
• Four stanzas reflect how she hasnt gone through the fifth stage of grief (acceptance)
• Dramatic monologue shows how personal the effects of war are
• Key themes


  • power of memory
  • grief
  • loss
  • suffering
  • horrors of war
• Comparison poems


  • war photographer
  • remains
  • the emigree
  • exposure
  • kamikaze