Monday 10 November 2008

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month

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I posted this last year on the Transita Authors blog, but it is just as apposite this year.

And every year.



Flanders meets the High Street
by Jan Jones

Standing in Waitrose at eleven o’clock
All life suspended
One woman reaching for a steak&kidney pie
An old man gripping his wire basket
Me with my trolley as thousands of cheerful, too-fast soldiers
March before my eyes in jerky shades of grey

PALs: joining up together, fighting together

Dying together.
A village wiped out. A community blasted.

The cashiers sit down again
People move
Two minutes of life, gone in the blink of an eye.
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3 comments:

Kate Hardy said...

Very moving, Jan.

Definitely lest we forget.

Jayne said...

That's beautiful, Jan. It always saddens me how so many people don't stop any more. I remember when the cars would stop in the road.

Kate Walker said...

Thank you Jan

Something that needed saying, said beautifully.

Kate