This was inspired in part by Cathán, and also by Dante's
Inferno.
Recollections of A Man and his Twin.
When we were boys, do you remember
Playing with our horses, stuffed to the brim
With old horsehair, their tanned hides
The way when, at night, you and I
We used to lie awake at night and dream
Of glory and of things unseen that we
Would never realise that we would
One day witness.
War came, I remember
The thrill of trying on the uniform,
How shiny the brass buttons looked
In the mirror above the bathroom sink
And how you, in your wisdom did decree
That if there was a choice, between us
That it would be you that died to save me.
Remember, too, the times we spent
Drinking with one another in the pub
Until the morning slowly crept
Upon us until the day was new
Fresh-morning dew had fallen soft
And we, in our drunken state
Trotted off home together.
Then one day, you and I
We stood at one another's doors,
Tears pouring from my eyes
The life I'd known had gone before
I'd even had a chance to blink,
But-- do you remember?
When we were two young boys
Playing with our old toys
The innocence we had back then
Shall never be the same again
War came and changed each of us
Changed you, changed me,
Changed all of us
In subtle ways we made it known.
Resplendent we were
In our shiny uniforms
Stepping forwards to receive
On our chests, our badge
Our medals that seemed so fake
And insincere after what we'd seen.
You left yours there, and I, I dropped mine
Down in the pit that excretion consumes.
And now at twenty-eight I see
That what was left of you and me
Was what the war did not destroy
We're still those two little boys
Playing with our horsehair horses
In the paddock at the farm.
-- L. E. Hurley
17th February, 2007.
altol) and Liz (
ohnotheydidnt) and then I showed it to 
