CHRISTMAS CALL: award winner

CHRISTMAS CALL: award winner



Separated we are by
More than a thousand mile.
At this Christmas I crave for
Your gentle touch and smile.

From this land I cannot send
You even an e-mail.
In this desert my cell phone
Is destined but to fail.

I rue the day when I had
With you a verbal spat.
I jumped at a decision
In a raw moment flat.

Your attention, fleetingly,
To another did sway,
Making me join the army,
So that I get away.

Separation kindles love;
Verily it is so.
Though we both discovered this,
The process was too slow.

It was on the Christmas eve
That from my home I flew,
To land amidst human bombs,
That truly roast and stew.

How I long for tender touch
And for your sweetest kiss!
These are what at this Christmas,
In Iraq, I do miss.



* Written in abcb, 7-6-7-6 format.

* Awarded Honourable Mention Prize in Magyk’s Monthly poetry contest, item 1048231 "Invalid Item" 

• Originally written as item 953651, which was deleted 17 May 2005 and this poem was included as entry 347695 in the book WAR POETRY , "WAR POETRY--award winner" . Re-posted as static item on 9 June 2007.



M C Gupta
December 25, 2004