Francesca Beard
Witness
This is for you,
Who set down pints,
Gave notice,
Traded in guitar, bike, season tickets,
Five-a-side in the rain,
Friday night at the pictures with Annie, Sally, Jane,
For Spain.
For how to clean a gun,
Hola Amigo, garlic,
Earth for a pillow,
Night sweats, broken thread,
The man you called brother,
Bleeding out, warm and wet,
On a bed of rough grass and sheep droppings,
The knowledge of what it is to be human
From the point of view of an animal.
This is for you,
Who came back,
Tried to get a job with your red score sheet,
Adios Amigo.
Gamy leg put you in goal,
But you’re not a safe pair of hands.
Can’t stand the roar of the crowd from the stands.
See Janey on the street, pushing a pram,
But war movies don’t do it for you anymore and
Though Sunday roast is still the same
You, you have changed.
This is for you, who gave your all,
Came back to find
Life goes on,
Truth’s a moveable feast and
Honour, freedom, solidarity
Are words that can be used by anybody,
Passed around, bartered like currency.
This is for you, not ideal.
This is for you, witness to the real.