A Soldier's Solace
after Isaac Rosenberg
in the clay pits of my childhood where roots of trees grasp for the sky i find a fleeting sense of peace a respite from the dung and blood that clings to my boots like a bad omen the soul stirs fitfully in its sleep as i recall the simple ecstasy of watching a flower push through the earth
in this desolate landscape of war i search for a glimpse of the divine a glimmer of beauty in the wreckage a reminder that life persists even in the darkest most forsaken places where death and decay seem to reign and yet a small flower blooms unseen
I took Isaac Rosenberg's use of juxtaposition and his blend of lyricism and earthiness to explore the emotional register of solace in the midst of war, a theme that is not often associated with his work. I aimed to create a sense of urgency and disruption through the use of enjambments and caesuras, while maintaining a direct and unflinching tone.