distant thunder

forgetful, i climbed down from the cab on to the gravel drive besides the hotel, just as a distant gun fired at the end of the silence of remembrance

for a full minute i stood in the at-ease position and listened to the breeze coming across the sunlit park to writhe in the dry foliage of the surrounding ash and oak trees

i closed my eyes for a few seconds, the better to listen, and tried to visualize all those millions of innocent people needlessly deprived of that simple pleasure by fatuous war mongers

ten minutes later, at the church a few yards along the track, a solitary man was still standing to attention besides a newly cleaned war memorial

as i drove away, a little old lady came hurrying from the car park carrying a tiny wooden cross