Pantoum Poem by Helen Zheng
They've been home all day
In unmarked graves
Linked in memory
And that's fine
In unmarked graves
Lie thousands of soldiers
And that's fine
In our garden
Lie thousands of soldiers
Like Venus, the morning star
In our garden
For over a century
Like Venus, the morning star
Linked in memory
For over a century
They've been home all day
I love how you make death and graves peaceful, especially with the phrase “and that’s fine”.
ReplyDeletemy favorite part is “in our garden lies thousand of soldiers” it flowed so perfectly together great choices of lines
ReplyDeleteIlike very much the flow of your Pantoum Poem. I was especially intrigued by the line" In unmarked graves lie thousands of Soldiers, along with the line that reads,"They`ve been home all day.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a brilliant arrangement! I've re-read this piece about seven different times because I keep seeing it in a different light each time. I can't decide if the line "And that's fine" indicates apathy in the face of death/suffering, or making peace with a troubled past and moving on.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I'm fascinated by the first stanza, which is simultaneously a little unsettling ("They've been home all day/In unmarked graves") and somehow tranquil ("Linked in memory/And that's fine").