Monument: R.A.M.C.
The profile is prehistoric:
Not yet upright.
Basic, uncouth, crude and dark
But the detail is tragic, if manic,
Yet contrite,
Stoic, literal and stark…
The load is symbolic:
Not yet killed.
Bloody, dishevelled, unconscious and helpless
But the weight is borne, if forlorn,
Yet skilled,
Heroic, paternal and fearless…
The expression is pragmatic:
Not yet defeated.
Weary, determined, strained and fierce
But the futility is obvious, if invidious,
Yet repeated,
Prosaic, infernal and terse…
All conflict is horrific:
Not yet diminished.
Still basic, uncouth, crude and dark
And the detail is still tragic, if manic,
Yet relished,
Stoic, literal and stark…
Pete Ray
October 2016
After visiting the National Arboretum this week and looking closely at the R.A.M.C. monument of an injured soldier being carried by a medic…
Even the veins on a bare foot reflect the horror.
The hopelessness of the carrying, the leaning and the vile reflection of war, all led to a fascination for me…
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